


Super High School Level Talentswap

by iaminlovewiththesky



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Gen, Major Spoilers for series, Multi, Talentswap
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-10
Updated: 2014-04-10
Packaged: 2017-12-14 14:14:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 24,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/837806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iaminlovewiththesky/pseuds/iaminlovewiththesky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Super High School Level Good Luck, Celestia Ludenberg, starts her new school hoping that her high school life will be like no other. She's right, but not for the reason she hopes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Prologue

Allow me to begin with an introduction. My name is Celestia Ludenberg.  
…Oh wait, I’ve got that wrong.  
My name is Taeko Yasuhiro. I am your average high school student. I have no talents, no hobbies, and no true friends. My grades are average, my athletic ability is average, and I have no qualities that make me more interesting than anyone else.  
…And I am SICK to death of it. My entire life I’ve spent being the exact definition of normal, when all I want is to stand out. If my world were to be thrown upside down, I would rejoice in it. At least then I wouldn’t be so bored all the time. And recently… that is exactly what happened.  
A year into my high school career, a strange letter came in the mail, from the illustrious Hope’s Peake Private Academy. Allow me to explain. Hope’s Peake is well-known as the most exclusive school in the country, only allowing in students who are at the top of their respective fields. Only the most amazingly talented students are even offered a chance to attend Hope’s Peake. Obviously, I believed mine to be a mistake.  
However, when I read the letter, it stated that I had won a lottery, and was invited to join next year’s class as a ‘Super High School Level Good Luck’ student. ‘Good luck’. What a joke. If I had any luck at all, I would never have been born to my family. But obviously, I had to accept. A student who graduates Hope’s Peake not only will be set for life, but will have classmates with incredible influence. After reading about some of my classmates online, there was no doubt in my mind that any social connections I make would be incredibly useful.  
Ah, my classmates… The most famous pop star in Japan, a Super High School Level Idol. An aspiring sports star, Super High School Level Baseball Player. The most famous male model in the country, Super High School Level Fashion Boy. Next to them all, I wouldn’t even look average, I would just be repulsive. Obviously, I had to reinvent myself.  
As I stand outside Hope’s Peake Private Academy, I psyche myself up. The person who enters those gates will not be Taeko Yasuhiro, Super High School Level Good Luck. She will be Celestia Ludenberg, Super High School Level Princess.  
I confidently stride forward… and promptly pass out.


	2. Confusion and Introductions

…..  
….. Hm?  
I wake up, sitting at a school desk. I raise my head up and look around. This certainly isn’t my regular high school… This must be Hope’s Peake, then. But it looks so… plain. How did I even get here? I don’t remember even walking into the building…  
A clock on the wall tells me it’s just past 8. Didn’t I get here at 7? Or perhaps my cell’s clock is off… I reach into my dress sleeve for the sewn-in pocket holding my phone, but quickly realize it’s gone. Someone must have taken it while I was passed out…!  
But… wait a moment… are those steel plates on the windows? I didn’t see the windows being covered up from the outside! And they’ve been bolted in… What is wrong with this school?! At least the security cameras seem normal… Although there are two of them in this room alone. That’s fairly overkill.  
….maybe this is some sort of orientation. Only the best can withstand Hope’s Peake, after all. Maybe this is their way of sorting out the weak. And if it is, I will not be among those weak. I examine my surroundings and discover a small, elegant invitation on the desk I had been sleeping on.  
“A Guide for New Student!” It proclaims. “A new semester has started, and with it, new students. A revolutionary new world awaits you within our walls. Please join us in the entrance hall at 8 am for orientation!”  
Ah. That’s fairly straight-forward. Although, I must be late… Oh well. I’ll just stand out more this way. In fact, I should probably put it off more, and be fashionably late. Speaking of fashion, my outfit seems a bit dusty.  
When I leave the classroom, I meander through the halls, and discover a bathroom. Perfect. I enter and check my appearance. Hair extensions, straight and realistic? Check. Grey contacts in place? Check. Makeup, natural and untarnished? Check. Black dress straightened and unwrinkled? After brushing the dust off, check. I look as good as I ever will for my first impression. I shouldn’t keep hesitating. This is my moment to shine.  
I exit the bathroom and stride down the hall, keeping my head up high in case I run into any other late comers. When I come up to the entrance hall doors, I freeze, suddenly hit by nerves. But I keep my expression calm and pleasant as I slowly open the door to see…  
My classmates.  
15 teenagers stand inside the hall, and all eyes turn to me. A tall boy asks, “Are you… a new student too?” I keep smiling and nod.  
“Yes, hello. Is this all of us?” My voice is steadier than I feel as I walk in and let the door shut behind me. Surrounded by all these people, some famous, some not, each with their own special talent… I suddenly feel small. But I refuse to let that affect me. “I apologize for being late, I seem to have fallen asleep.”  
A fat boy looks at me, seeming confused. “You too?” I blink, the only surprise I show.  
“I take it that I’m not the only one? Things just get stranger and stranger…” That just strengthens my theory it’s just for orientation. If it happened to everyone, it must be something the school did. A tall boy with oddly shaped hair storms up to me.  
“You kept us waitin’! You were supposed to be here right at 8, what took ya so long?! You missed most of our introductions!”  
I don’t let his threatening manner faze me. “As I said, I fell asleep and only just woke up. My name is Celestia Ludenberg, and I am a Super High School Level Princess. And you are?” He balks.  
“Uh… I’m… Mondo Oowada, Super High School Level Hall Monitor! Don’t be late next time, alright? Uh… your majesty?” Mondo Oowada… I don’t know too much about him, just that he terrorized his school’s rule breakers. I tilt my head and smile softly. This is going well already.  
“I won’t be ‘Your Majesty’ until I become a queen. Please, call me Celestia. And it’s nice to meet you, Oowada-sama.” A large-breasted girl jumps up and interrupts us.  
“We should all introduce ourselves to her!” She turns to me and holds out her hand. “I’m Aoi Asahina! Nice to meet you, Celestia!” Ah, Asahina I know more about. A famous manga artist who started a swimming craze with her series, starring a teenage boy who takes up swimming after his father dies, and meets a female swimmer who’s crazy for him. A trite storyline, but a popular one. I daintily shake her hand. “So, where’re you the princess of?”  
“I’m from Novoselic, in Europe. However, I’ve been in Japan for a few months, to prepare myself for Hope’s Peake.” She grins and nods as a boy with shockingly red hair walks up to me.  
“Yo! I’m Leon Kuwata, Super High School Level Swimmer! Nice t’meet you!” Yes, the newest swimming star… A speed demon who claims in his interviews he would rather do anything but. He won’t even accept his own gift. A small girl stands behind him and I step to the side to get a better look at her. Short brown hair, blushing cheeks… and the sweet, darling face of a liar.  
“Ah… How do you do? I’m Chihiro Fujisaki, a gambler…” In the corner of my eye, I see Oowada recoil in shock. Looks like someone didn’t do his research. I didn’t find too much on little miss Fujisaki… only that ‘she’s’ actually a mister, according to her old school files. She speaks up again. “I’m… not too good at self-introductions… But it’s a pleasure to meet you!”  
I smile at her. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Fujisaki-chan.” She smiles sweetly before tilting her head questioningly.  
“I’m… probably just imagining things, but have we ever met somewhere before?” For a moment, my heart stops. What if he recognized me? But I quickly realize that not only I have I never seen him before, but he’s probably just planning to make me his next mark.  
“That’s impossible, I’m afraid. Perhaps you’ve just seen someone similar to me.” His face falls.  
“Ah… I’m sorry…” I assure him he doesn’t have to apologize and move on to the next student. A girl, with long, blue-tinted black hair.  
“I’m Sayaka Maizono. Pleased to meet you!” She smiles sweetly. Another backstabber, I’m sure. Miss Maizono, the most popular Young Adult writer in the country. Her romance stories pull at any female heart, and some male ones too.  
“Ah… I’m quite fond of your work, Maizono-sama.” I smile sweetly. “I’ve been wondering, is your male romantic interest based on anyone?” She quickly blushes and waves her hand, as if to wave away the question. Before she can answer, a tall boy with short black hair and red eyes walks up to me.  
“Greetings! My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru! Super High School Level Hacker! Let’s be friends, Celestia-san!” Ah, Kiyotaka Ishimaru… famous online for his hacking skills, and for the time he broke into a news report and rewrote the stories to cause chaos. After that, he dropped off the radar, which just added to his legend.  
I turn to one of the most famous people in the room- pop idol Touko Fukawa. “Hello, Fukawa-sama.” She grins widely.  
“I’m Touko, not Fukawa!” Oh yes, Touko Fukawa. She’s not only famous for her music-which, to be honest, I find obnoxious- but she’s also famous for her split personality. Shy, nervous Fukawa and outgoing, friendly Touko, two girls at odds while being in the same body. I’ve seen all of her interviews, just to prepare myself for her personality switching. Touko seems to be a stereotypical popular girl, while Fukawa is a quiet girl next door. The only thing they seem to have in common is that neither of them will date.  
“My apologies, Touko-sama. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She throws up a peace sign and wanders off to talk to someone else. A girl with pinkish-blonde hair wanders up next, dragging a dull but similar-looking girl behind her. The more energetic of the two speaks first.  
“Hey! I’m Junko Enoshima, Super High School Level Fortune Teller! And this is my twin sis, Mukuro Ikusaba, a baseball player!” I know of Mukuro Ikusaba- only recently got into baseball, but is practically a prodigy- but I know next to nothing about Junko Enoshima except that she was a childhood model that burned out fast.  
“Nice to meet you both.” I appear to hesitate. “Would it be insulting if I mentioned you don’t look too similar?” The dull girl immediately declares, “I dye my hair. And coffee stunted my growth.” Her bitter tone seems to suggest she’s either insulted that I suggested they don’t look similar, or wishes they looked even more different. I apologize and move on.  
A girl in a long school uniform stands in front of me. “…Hello. My name is Kyouko Kirigiri.” …This is Kyouko Kirigiri? The infamous leader of one of Japan’s largest sukeban? Well, at least her dyed purple hair and long school uniform suits the image, but… I thought she’d be tougher-looking. Well, I certainly don’t want to get on her bad side.  
“Pleased to meet you, Kirigiri-sama.” She scowls, but walks away. That’s ten down, five more to go. Piece of cake. Next on my list of people to meet, a tall, skinny girl with white hair, who is whispering to the tall boy with odd hair who first noticed me. She turns when I approach.  
“I am Sakura Oogami. Super High School Level Detective.” Her face is stern and I get the feeling that she’s uncomfortable. “This is Yasuhiro Hagakure, Super High School Level Wrestler.” He waves and subtly rests a hand on Oogami’s shoulder. I don’t have too much information on them. Oogami’s family owns a large dojo, where Hagakure is known to frequent. Oogami is fairly well known for her deductive mind and an incident where she caught a thief, while Hagakure is known for his bad luck and history of getting into dangerous mishaps. I recently disguised myself and showed interest at the dojo in hopes of learning more about them, but neither of them were there- which, to be honest, was probably a good thing, since otherwise I might have gotten caught. Either way, I need to be careful around these two.  
The corner holds two more boys, quietly whispering. One I recognize as Byakuya Togami, a famous fashion model whose face has graced the cover of every popular fashion magazine at one point or another. The other boy… is either the anonymous heir to the Yamada family, or the Super High School Level Soldier I found no information about. The two glance at me at the same time, and I notice the unknown boy’s sleeve glitter with metal. A hidden knife… probably the soldier, then. I smile captivatingly and walk right up to them.  
“Hello. My name is Celestia Ludenberg, Super High School Level Pri-“ Togami cuts me off.  
“We heard your introduction, Princess. Don’t waste our time. My name is Byakuya Togami, Super High School Level Fashion Boy.” The shorter boy pastes a smile on. “I’m Makoto Naegi, Super High School Level Soldier.” He holds his hands up. “Don’t be scared, though, I’m not gonna hurt anyone. Unless I need to.” What a nice thought.  
“It’s a pleasure.” I quickly walk away. Togami seems stuck-up, and the soldier boy is a pathetic liar. How disappointing. At least there’s only one introduction left- the fat boy. He must be- I inwardly shudder- the heir to the Yamada family. His weight would explain why his family hides him away from the public eye.  
“Hello, there!” He smiles. “My name is Hifumi Yamada!” He holds out his hand to be and I start to shake it, but he pulls me in close and whispers into my ear. “I don’t know why you are masquerading as the princess of Novoselic, but you’re doing a terrible job.” I freeze up and only barely hear someone storming up to us and pulling our hands apart. I tune in halfway through a speech Mondo seems to be giving Yamada on ‘appropriate touching’, which is quickly cut off by a loudspeaker turning on.  
“Hello, students of Hope’s Peake! Today’s entrance ceremony will take place in the gymnasium on the first floor! Please converge there as soon as possible, everyone! And also, welcome!” It screeches off.  
My classmates all start talking at once, everything from “What was that?” to “Let’s not be late!” to “Hey, this musta been a prank as part of the entrance ceremony!” Everyone files out quickly. Or at least… almost everyone.


	3. Meeting the Headmaster

A few students stay back, hesitant to go to the gymnasium. To be honest, I can’t blame them. That announcement was oddly unsettling… Ikusaba and Enoshima are still here, along with Maizono, who seems to be clutching at Kuwata’s arm. Still standing right next to me is Yamada, unfortunately.  
“Something about that announcement seemed… wrong…” I hear someone say behind me. “Come on, sis, let’s go, don’t be so slow!” Another says. “Don’t worry, Maizono-san, I got you.” Slowly, they trickle out. When they’ve all left, I look back at the overweight heir.  
“I’m sorry, I don’t believe I heard what you were saying before, Yamada-sama.” Oh please god let me have heard him wrong. He smirks and pushes his glasses up his nose.  
“There is no princess of Novoselic, Celestia-dono, only a prince. Not just that, but I personally know the royal family. You look nothing like them.” He grins. “So what is your REAL talent, Celestia-dono?” ….of course he knows the royal family. He’s a Yamada… Damn my luck! If onlyI had chosen another country… but Novoselic is so obscure, few people even notice it on a map.  
“…I don’t believe my talent is any of your business.” I smile and link my fingers together innocently. “Although, I do believe it’s in your best interest to not tell the other students about me. It would be a shame if something happened to the only heir of the Yamada family, wouldn’t it?” His face pales, but he quickly gets a grip on himself.  
“You can’t do anything to me! My entire family would go after you!”  
“Hm? Me do something to you..? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Although, if there was an accident… no one would suspect anything, would they?” Of course, I mean none of this. I would never purposefully get on the bad side of such a powerful family. I’m just hoping he’s as easily manipulated as he looks.  
“I… I will not tell anyone, Celestia-dono! E-excuse me!” He bolts out of the room. Who would have thought the heir of the Yamada family would be so… easily frightened? It’s practically comical.  
I find my way to the gymnasium quickly. A few people stand in a trophy room right outside the gym- although Yamada bolts inside the moment he sees me. Is he truly that scared of me? That’s hilarious.  
Kirigiri looks at me. “Is it just me, or does this place feel like a prison? No, it feels worse than prison…” At least I’m not the only one who feels this way.  
“It does seem… oddly closed off from the outside world. Did any of you notice the metal plates on all the walls?” Maizono nods at me. “Maybe it’s to frighten us on our first day!” She adds. “That would explain why I haven’t seen anyone in the halls!” That’s when I realize I haven’t seen a single soul other than my classmates. That’s not normal for a school, right?  
I pat her hand. “I’m certain it’s just a prank for new students. When orientation is over, they will remove the plates and the other students will all greet us.” She smiles sweetly at me.  
“You’re probably right, Ludenberg-san.”  
“Ah, please, call me Celestia.” She nods and leaves to enter the gym. I follow behind her, and the rest behind me. All I can hope for is that what I told Maizono is right, and this is all an elaborate prank on us all.  
The gym… looks normal. Empty besides my classmates, but it looks like it is set up for a grand entrance ceremony. I smile at everyone and look up at the platform where our headmaster will appear and wait patiently. Maizono walks over next to me and says, “Celestia-chan, you were right, it is-“ She’s cut off by a loud voice.  
“Are all the students here? Well, it seems so! Time to begin!” Energetic music begins playing as the lights on the stage all turn on and curtains fly open to reveal…  
“A teddy bear…?” I hear Fujisaki say. The teddy growls and I take a step back. It sounds almost like a real bear.  
“Hey! I’m not a teddy bear! I’m MONOBEAR, the headmaster of Hope’s Peake Private Academy!” It looks like a teddy, but it- he?- can move and speak… What an elaborate doll. It stops growling “Nice to meet you all!” He sounds so calm and relaxed… which is so out of place it’s disturbing.  
“The- the toy is talking!” Yamada screeches. The bear growls again.  
“I just told you I’m not a toy! I’m your headmaster, not a teddy! Don’t bearidiculous!” I bite back a chuckle.  
“Bear puns…? Hasn’t that been done to death already?” He somewhat reminds me of a character from a game I once played, which makes him seem a bit less threatening. He sighs and his shoulders fall.  
“We should begin the proceedings now.” A few students talk among themselves. “Eh- quiet down, please!” He growls. “Stand! Bow! Good morning, you bastards!” The only person to respond is Oowada, who bows and greets him. What an upstanding hall monitor.  
Monobear smiles- which is creepy in and of itself. “Now then, to begin an entrance ceremony you will never forget! Let me start with a statement regarding your future life here at school…” He coughs. “You bastards are all extremely talented, bringing hope to the world with your abilities. Your purpose here, at this school, is to preserve that hope!” He grins. “And so, you will all live a communal lifestyle inside Hope’s Peake!”  
“….huh? What do you mean, communal lifestyle?” This is a boarding school…? He nods at me.  
“Oh yes! As to the extent of this communal lifestyle… It’ll be forever! You bastards will never leave the school grounds~!” His cheery voice conflicts with the grim message he gives us. This… must be a prank. Students have successfully graduated Hope’s Peake before. They can’t just kidnap a large ground of talented students and keep them here forever!  
“Ah, but don’t worry! We have the budget to take care of any need you will ever have! Besides leaving, of course!” At that, everyone bursts into loud chatter, the only silent ones being Kirigiri, Oogami, and myself.  
Ikusaba stands forward, looking furious. “You have to be lying! You can’t just keep us here forever!” Arguing with a stuffed bear… what a waste of her time. Enoshima puts a hand on her shoulder and pulls her back, but Monobear explodes anyway.  
“I am not a liar! I take great pride in my honesty!” He huffs. “Speaking of honesty, let me tell you something else- you will have absolutely no contact with the outside world. This way, you don’t have to see how disgusting the world truly is!” That would explain the metal plates…  
“So the plates on the windows are to keep us in?” This just gets worse and worse… To put on the princess act for classes would already be stressful enough. To have to keep it up at all times… Although, I don’t have to go back home. There is an upside to this, at least. And Monobear is right- the world is a disgusting place.  
“Now then,” the bear continues, “You should know that no help is coming. You should all just embrace your lives inside the school!” He giggles. “Whether you believe me or not, you’ll realize it’s all true over time! You can never leave! Unless… well, there is a way out.”  
“What the hell is it?!” Someone- Kuwata, I believe- yells. The bear giggles again, which is an unusual sound. Almost like ‘upupupu’.  
“Well, as headmaster, I’ve created a special rule for children who want to leave, called ‘graduation’! If a student breaks the orderly life of our communal lifestyle, that student will be allowed to leave!”  
The Fashion Boy speaks up for the first time since I entered the gymnasium. “What do you mean by ‘breaking the order’?” His deep scowl shows he would do anything to get out.  
“Upupu… the act of killing another person!” The room goes completely silent. “Only a student who kills someone can leave! And only if they don’t get caught! Oh, but I’m sure none of you will want to ‘graduate’… not yet, anyway!” Still silence. “Well, I’ll leave you all with a present! This!” He pulls out a stack of odd, card-like things. “The Electronic Student ID card! It’s extremely necessary, so don’t lose it! Oh, but don’t worry, it can’t be broken in any way! Make sure when you turn it on, it has your name on it! Also, inside is a list of school rules, please read over them carefully! Any student caught breaking the rules will be punished… Upupupu…” He steps back and the curtains over him.  
“…..this is all a dream, right?” Hagakure asks quietly. “Trapped in a school, bear headmaster, killing each other… just a dream, right?!”  
Ishimaru speaks up from the side. “Yes, Hagakure-kun, you must be correct! This is a dream!”  
“Don’t be foolish.” Everyone is silent again as I speak up. “This is real life. This is either a ridiculous, overly-dramatic and pointless prank, or real. Either way, we must take this at face value. For the foreseeable future, we are locked up in Hope’s Peake, with no means of escape.” I stride up to the front of the room and take the ID card with my name on it. “All we have to do, is adapt.” With that, I leave.


	4. Exploration of the First Floor

As I leave, I hear the murmurs of the others talking. Oh well. They can do whatever they’d like, which, most likely, is panic and waste their time either deluding themselves or trying to find a way out. Of course, I wish I could join them in delusion, but I have to keep my head on my shoulders.With a group of teenagers, including a soldier, a gang leader, and a wrestler, I assume there will be a dead body by tomorrow. Maybe later today. I just need to make sure it isn’t me.  
But first things first. I turn on my Electronic Student ID Card and hit the ‘rules’ Icon. Rule1- Students will live a communal life on school grounds. Rule 2- The time between 10 pm and 7 am is called Night Time. During Night Time, there are places forbidden to enter, so please take care. Rule 3- Sleeping is only permitted in the personal rooms prepared for you in the dormitory area. Anyone intentionally falling asleep elsewhere will be punished. Rule 4- You may investigate the school as you please. Rule 5- No violence against the headmaster, Monobear, will be permitted. Destruction of surveillance cameras is strictly forbidden. Rule 6- A ‘culprit’ who kills another student will graduate the school. However, they must not let any other students know they are the culprit. Rule 7- Additional rules may be added by the school at any time.  
Well, they are all fairly straightforward, except for rule 6. What does it mean by ‘must not let any other students know’? That’s a qualification of graduation? I’ll have to ask Monobear next time I see him. For now, I need to go explor- the gym door opens behind me.  
“Ah, Celestia-chan, you’re still here, good!” Maizono comes up next to me. “Do you want to go explore the school grounds with me?” Exploring sounds good… and she most likely doesn’t have the tools to kill me yet. More likely than not, she’s trying to get into my good favor so later she can attack me. Still, maybe I can do the same- lead her into believing I’m on her side and then killing here when I feel the need to leave.  
“I’d love to.” I take her arm in mine. She giggles uncertainly and I lead her out of the trophy room. She’s only silent for a few moments.  
“I… I’m really worried about the killing thing. You don’t think anyone would actually do it, right? I mean, kill a fellow student? I’d understand killing Monobear- although it wouldn’t really be killing, since he’s just a toy, but-”  
“I think that, if pushed, someone might. But if we can create strong bonds, and adapt to a life within the school, we could make it through unscathed. Just be certain to keep yourself away from anyone you might feel is dangerous for a while, like that Soldier boy, Makoto Naegi.” She tenses up when you say his name, and you blink. “Is something wrong?”  
“His name is Naegi?”  
“That’s what he told me. I thought everyone introduced themselves before I got to the entrance hall?” She bites her lip, seemingly conflicted.  
“Well, only some of us did, when you showed up we all stopped. So the short boy who was standing next to Byakuya Togami was Makoto Naegi…?” I nod. “Wow… Things really do change over time…”  
“What do you mean, Maizono-sama?”  
“Well… Naegi-kun was the influence for Minoru Nakahara, the romantic lead from my first novel. I… went to junior high with him, and I kind of had a huge crush on him. He was really sweet and kind, but a little distant. He always had something he had to do for a friend-he was that selfless, he would spend all his time doing favors for people. He was… friendly. Sweet. The perfect boyfriend. But then he moved away or something, and now… He’s like that.” Wow. That’s a pretty intimate thing she’s trusting me with, considering we met today… Maybe she isn’t just planning to kill me. Maybe she wants to be friends.  
“…it’s amazing, that you could meet up with someone you used to care about here, by coincidence. Maybe it was meant to be.” For the first time since entering the school, my smile is genuine. “ I know that if I met up with someone I used to know, I would be ecstatic.” She grins back.  
“Wouldn’t it just be the most romantic thing? To fall in love with someone, only to lose them quickly and find them again? I should write my next story about that…” She stops for a moment. “Would you like to be my beta-reader, Celestia-chan?”  
I blink in surprise. “I… I’d love to. Thank you, Ma- Sayaka-chan.” She grins widely and we head down the halls, passing covered windows and closed classroom doors, peeking in to see if there was anything of notice. We check the windows, but they’re sealed tight. No hopes of one of them getting loose. The iron bulkhead covering the door to the entrance hall is also a hopeless case. Soon, we stumble across a stairwell that seems to be blocked off by shutters. It leads up to a currently inaccessible second floor.  
Eventually, we make it to the private dormitories. There are sixteen rooms, each with a small plaque on the door with a picture of our classmates. Mine is right next to Sayaka’s, and a key hangs on the doorknob. I stop her before she walks into hers with a hand on her arm.  
“I have something for you.” I reach up my left sleeve and pull out a small pocketknife from a hidden pocket and hand it to her. “If someone attacks you, use this to hold them off and call for help. I’ll come to your room right away.” I probably have more fighting skills than she does, and she’ll need the help. Besides, if she did die, I could be a witness and get the attempted graduate caught.  
She smiles sadly and takes it. “Thank you, Celes-chan…” She enters her room, and I enter mine.


	5. Dinner Time!

The room I walk into is shockingly similar to my room from home. Whoever brought us here… must have broken into my room… Because all of my personal belongings are here. Posters of celebrities hang on the wall- some of which are of my new classmates, so I tear them down, not wanting to risk someone wandering in and seeing it. A large bookshelf stands against the wall, holding all of my favorite books. The closet is full of my clothes, everything from my old sweatpants to the Hopes Peake Academy uniform I was to start wearing the first day of school.  
In other words… either my parents knew about this set up, or the Academy broke into my home and took all my personal items. Both possibilities are disturbing.  
The only things out of place in the room is a security camera- although, thankfully, there isn’t one in the bathroom- a sewing kit with a diagram of the human body, and a note on the wall, stating that my bathroom door is lockable (although the boys’ rooms aren’t), that the shower doesn’t work at night, and that the map of the human body is so female students (males get tool kits instead of sewing kits) can easy strike vital organs. I take note of the points- just in case of an emergency.  
After going through all my belongings, I decide to visit the cafeteria for dinner. More likely than not, the others are there, but I’m hungry. Besides, as I told Sayaka earlier, it would probably be a good idea to bond with my classmates, at least enough that I won’t be their first thought as a victim. Although, I’ve probably ruined any semblance of a friendship with Yamada. It will be difficult to convince him I’m not dangerous.  
I leave my room, locking it behind me, and stroll to the cafeteria. The halls are still oddly empty of anyone, even my own classmates. It’s unsettling. Luckily, as I get closer to the cafeteria, I hear voices and discussion coming from the cafeteria. Sounds like most of the class is there. Sayaka and I probably missed some group meeting when we left early to explore. I enter the room and most of the students fall quiet, although Oowada and Kuwata are arguing loudly about whether removing the plates on the windows counts as property damage.  
I walk past everyone, feeling their eyes on me. Did I make that much of an impression with my last words? Or… did Yamada tell everyone that I’m not actually a Super High School Level Princess? I’m almost to the kitchen when Kuwata calls out. “Yo, Ludenberg! Have you seen Maizono? She left right after you did.” I turn around to face him.  
“Yes, we explored the first floor together. Last I saw, she went into her room. About… half an hour ago, perhaps?” Before they can say anything, I walk into the kitchen and look around. Asahina is eating a donut in the corner and waves to me.  
“Hiya, Celestia-chan! What’s up?” I smile at her.  
“Ah, I just came from my room to get dinner.” I look through the cabinets. “….Asahina-sama, do you know why most of the others got quiet when I entered the cafeteria?”  
I see her wrinkle her nose. “They’re probably just stressed out. This whole situation is pretty weird, you know!” I chuckle and respond, “Yes, I know.” I end up just pulling a box of pasta out of the cabinet. I’m a fairly average chef, able to make simple dishes and one or two more complicated ones.  
“Asahina-sama, do you know if the others have eaten?” She shakes her head.  
“I’m pretty sure none of them have! We’ve all just been arguing since we got to the cafeteria- which is why I came in here for a snack!” I nod.  
“Perhaps I’ll make dinner for everyone, then. Could you go ask them if they’d like pasta?” She dashes out as soon as the words leave my mouth. Maybe making dinner would help Yamada warm up to me a bit. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, of course. …although, I want nowhere NEAR his heart.  
She quickly returns, along with Oogami in tow. “Everyone wants pasta! Can Sakura-c han and I help?” I smile sweetly at them.  
“That would be appreciated. Do either of you know how to make pasta sauce from scratch?” As it turns out, Oogami does, and we spend the next half hour cooking up a meal of pasta with meatballs and broccoli on the side- although, Asahina spends most of the time sampling more than helping. Eventually, we carry the food out to the table everyone’s sitting at. I take a seat between Sayaka- who must have shown up after I entered the kitchen- and Ishimaru, who has a laptop out and seems to be writing something- although he closes it when he notices me glancing over.  
Dinner is loud, everyone talking at once and discussing everything from how good the food is to the reason we’re all here, although most of us avoid the topic of our imprisonment. Only Togami and Kuwata don’t shy away from the topic, although Togami doesn’t talk much. To be honest, I kind of enjoy this. The ability to talk freely to everyone- although of course it’s not quite ‘freely’ when I have to keep my true life out of it- is far less bothersome than the lunches at my old high school. Before, I would sit in a quiet group of girls who weren’t popular enough to be the in-crowd, but weren’t pathetic enough to be picked on. Here, however, everyone is the in-crowd, and the discussion flows.  
I almost regret going into the kitchen to put all the dishes in the sink. Oogami and Asahina roped Kuwata and Hagakure into doing the dishes, so I could sit back and relax with the group. People left in bits and pieces, sometimes alone and sometimes in groups of two or three. By 9 pm, everyone is gone, but I feel like we’ve all grown closer. Maybe this whole murder game will be no big deal.  
I return to my room for the night and lock the door, feeling calm and relaxed as the television turns on. Monobear’s face appears. “This is a school announcement. It is now 10 pm. Night Time begins now. The cafeteria’s doors will be locked shortly. You are forbidden to enter it. Well then, good night. I wish you all pleasant dreams.”


	6. Day Two of Imprisonment!

I wake up to an announcement on the television. “Good morning, you bastards! It’d 7 in the morning! Time to wake up! Let’s all strive to do our best today!” I take a short shower and get ready to leave my room. I’m clipping in my hair extensions when there’s a knock on my door. I reach for the knife in my sleeve, but recall I gave it to Sayaka. Quietly cursing, I finish with my hair and open the door.  
Oowada stands awkwardly at the door. “Uh, good morning, Celestia-san. We are all meeting at the cafeteria in half an hour, don’t be late.” I nod.  
“I was just about to head there anyway. Do you need to tell anyone else, or would you mind walking with me?” He stiffly shakes his head and walks beside me. He’s nervous, but I don’t know why. Is he worried I’ll be a killer? Finally, I speak up. “Are you worried about something?”  
He slows his steps. “Uh, no. I’m fine. Just… not used to bein’ around girls, you know? And especially not princesses.” I nod understandingly and he rushes ahead of to open the cafeteria door for me. I thank him and head inside.  
Touko Fukawa is inside- although her body language is completely different from when I met her. Instead of standing up straight, she’s slumped over in a seat, writing something in a notebook. When she notices us, she slams it shut.  
“Ah, hello. Fukawa-sama, I presume?” I hold my hand out to her. “I am your classmate, Super High School Level Princess, Celestia Ludenberg. A pleasure to meet you.” She hesitantly takes my hand and shakes it.  
“…hi.” She clutches her notebook to her chest. She drops her hand when I let go and looks away, so I just head into the kitchen. Junko and Mukuro are inside, making eggs.  
“Good morning Enoshima-sama, Ikusaba-sama. How are you?” Junko grins.  
“We’re great!” She’s whisking eggs- to make scrambled eggs, I assume- rapidly, spilling some on the ground, while Mukuro heats up the pan. I reach into the cabinet and grab a box of cereal. Junko whines, “Aw, c’mon, we’re making eggs for everyone, put the cereal away!”  
I sigh. “I am not too fond of eggs. I’ll just have some on the side.” I pour myself a bowl of cereal and grab milk from the fridge. Really, I just don’t trust them. They have a ready-made alliance, even from before coming here. And they only speak to each other, most of the time. It makes them seem suspicious. I grab a bowl of fruit as well, to share with the others.  
I bring my cereal out to the cafeteria and see a few more students have gathered. Naegi and Kirigiri are chatting away in the corner, while Sayaka stares at them. Kuwata and Oowada are butting heads again, over Kuwata being late. Ishimaru is on his computer again, facing everyone so no one can see his screen. I sit down beside Chihiro, who’s fidgeting in his seat, and place the bowl down before handing him an apple. He quietly accepts it and takes a bite.  
Breakfast is quieter than dinner, but still pleasant. Everyone discusses their plans for what to do today. Sakura and Hagakure will be wrestling in the gym while Enoshima and Ikusaba watch. Kirigiri, Naegi, and Togami plan to watch a movie in Naegi’s room- which I find amazing, that Naegi would allow people he’s only just met into his room. Chihiro and Leon have already started playing poker together at a different table. Yamada and Asahina leave together, caught up in a discussion about manga. Only Ishimaru, Oowada, Fukawa, Sayaka, and I don’t seem to have any plans. Or at least, we aren’t freely discussing them.  
Within an hour, everyone files out- most of them probably planning to brush their teeth to get rid of the terrible taste of the burned eggs. Ishimaru is still typing on that laptop of his and I decide to ask him about it. I move over to the table he’s seated at and sit across from him.  
“Hello, Ishimaru-sama.” I throw him my most charming grin, but he barely even looks up. “How are you this morning?” I try again. He slowly closes the laptop and looks at me.  
“I am fine, Ludenberg-kun. And how are you?” Ah, good, a reaction. He was probably just engrossed in whatever he was doing.  
“Ah, I’m alright! I just noticed you hadn’t mentioned having any plans when we were all discussing it, so I was wondering if we could chat for a bit.” He looks surprised, but he smiles.  
“Oh, of course! Why would you like to talk about, Ludenberg-kun?”  
“Please, call me Celestia. But really, I don’t know too much about computers, and you seem to be the expert. I’m curious, what are you working on?” He quickly dives into a long speech, where I understand absolutely nothing he’s saying. All I get from it is that he’s working on a program to be able to control a robot from afar, which does sound interesting. He claims he can’t tell me too much, because it’s a program for the government, but he divulges that an older version of his program is already capable of basic movements. I glance at the clock but blink when I realize it’s been over two hours.  
I cut him off midsentence. “Pardon my rudeness, Ishimaru-kun, but I need to go see someone, and I’m late. This has been fascinating, though, and I’d like to continue later.”  
“Oh, alright! I’ll see you later, Celestia-kun!” I smile and wave before exiting the cafeteria. Ishimaru seems unfriendly, but he’s really just wrapped up in the things he cares about.  
I walk down the hallway, planning on going to my room and reading a good book, but bump into someone while turning at a corner. Someone large. And round. “Ah, I apologize, Yamada-sama.” He freezes up when he notices it’s me. “I was actually searching for you, I don’t suppose we could talk in private?”  
“Ah. Um. O-of course, Celestia Ludenberg-dono!”  
“…if it would make you feel more comfortable, we could go to my room. I couldn’t hurt you there, because I would doubtlessly be caught.” He hesitantly nods and I lead him down the halls to the dorms, before unlocking the door to my room and stepping in. He takes a seat at my desk, while I sit on the bed.  
“I would like to apologize for threatening you, Yamada-sama. I was just worried that you would tell everyone about my… falsehood.”  
“Why are you even claiming to be a princess? What is your real talent? Super High School Level Conwoman? Cat Burglar? Thief?” I bite my lip before deciding that having someone I can talk to honestly would be an asset.  
“If you swear not to tell any of the others, I’ll tell you my real talent.” He quickly nods. “…My name is Taeko Yasuhiro. I am Super High School Level Good Luck. I was only invited to Hopes Peake because I won the school’s lottery.” I sigh. “I have no real talent. Compared to the rest of you, I’m just a boring, normal high school student. I thought that lying about my talent would be easier than telling the truth and being shunned for it.”  
He’s silent for a few moments. “Taeko Yasuhiro-dono, I don’t believe that’s true. Certainly, a few would, but some of our ‘talents’ aren’t truly talents at all. For instance, my ‘talent’ is that a was born to a rich family. Byakuya Togami-dono’s talent is he can look attractive in nice clothes. Mondo Oowada-dono’s talent is he is devoted to rules. Having good luck is just as good of a talent as those. And most of our classmates do not seem the type to ‘shun’ you for being given a title you can’t help.”  
“…you’re probably right. However, I’d like to continue acting as a Super High School Level Princess. At least for a while. Please don’t tell anyone my secret, Yamada-san.”  
“Of course I won’t. Celestia-chan.” I sigh in relief when he agrees. That went far better than I expected. Now I just have to hope he doesn’t slip up in front of the others.  
“Thank you very much, Yamada-san.” He stands up.  
“I was on my way to get snacks for Aoi Asahina-dono and I when you grabbed me- we are watching some of her anime- so I have to go. I’ll see you at dinner, Celestia-chan.” He leaves and I relax, lying down on the bed. Of course, I have no plans to reveal who I really am to the others. If I told them now that I was a huge liar, they would never speak to me again. Maybe someone would even feel betrayed enough to kill me. I could never put myself in danger like that. If there is going to be a victim, it will NOT be me.


	7. Motivations

I spend a few hours holed up in my room, reading the copy of Sayaka’s latest novel. Oddly enough, the front page is ripped out. Thankfully, it only had the title on it, but it’s still odd. I don’t think it was like this when I bought it… I’m nearly finished by the time there’s an overhead announcement.  
“Ahem… is this thing on? All students, please report to the gymnasium for a special announcement!” The loudspeaker turns off and I get up, setting the book down beside me but hesitate. I pick it back up and grab a pen from my desk. Maybe I can ask Sayaka for her autograph.  
I clutch the book to my chest and walk to the gym, nervous. What did Monobear want now? Another announcement? Maybe to explain the rules of this killing game more? I’m one of the last to arrive at the gym. The curtains are once again down to cover the stage and everyone is talking quietly among themselves. I walk up to Sayaka and greet her with a genuine smile.  
“Oh, hi Celes-cha-“ She stops when she notices her book in my hands. “Oh, you have a copy? That’s so sweet!”  
“I was rereading it when the announcement came on. I was wondering if you would… sign it for me?” She grins widely and takes it, along with the pen. She opens it and signs on the first page- ‘To Celes, I’m so glad you like my books! Your friend, Sayaka!’ I hug it to my chest when she hands it back. “Thanks so much, Sayaka-chan.”  
As soon as the last person- Togami- arrives, the lights in the gym dim. Lights behind the curtain flicker on, and the curtain falls open, revealing Monobear. He strides forward. “Good evening, you bastards! And welcome to the first motivation!”  
“Moti…vation…?” What does that mean? He grins down at us.  
“A ‘motivation’ is a reason to kill your fellow students!” Everyone goes quiet. “Today, it’s a video! We can all relax and watch them in the computer lab down the hall!” He pull a box from behind the podium and tosses them to each of us in turn. Mine has the name Taeko Yasuhiro, so I hide the name by putting it on top of the book. We all quietly shuffle down the hall and I take a seat in the back, plugging in headphones.  
It starts up with a video of my family. “Hello, Taeko, I hope you’re doing alright with your studies! We’re so proud you got into such a good school, it must be a great learning exper-“ My mother gets cut off by the video glitching, and showing the same room, but on fire, my parents slumped against each other with their throats slit. I freeze in my seat.  
Monobear does a voiceover as the flames burn around my parents. “What could have happened to them? Hoooow could this have come to pass?” The video shuts off, but I stay in place. My parents… are dead… I take out the video, feeling like a zombie. The others all show similar expressions of disbelief, horror, and fear.  
I stumble out of the room as if in a trace, and hear someone follow me. I turn to see Sayaka, who’s quietly crying. “…Sayaka-chan?” She throws herself at me and hugs me tightly, sobbing loudly, and I hug back, stroking her hair in an attempt to calm her down. Her video must have been just as bad as mine…  
We stand in the hallway for a while, until she runs out of tears. At some point, I had begun quietly crying too. As much as I disliked my parents, I didn’t want them dead. They were boring and distasteful, but they were mine.  
I quietly lead Sayaka to the cafeteria and get her a glass of water. She takes it silently and drinks it as I sit beside her. I won’t ask about hers, but… “Mine was. My parents. Talking to me about school and then… their throats were slit and our home was burning around them, and-“ I cut myself off before I start crying again. She leans again me in a comforting way, and I relax. “I… I just pray that it isn’t real. That it’s all some sick, cruel joke, but everyone is alright…” She nods.  
We sit in silence and one by one the other students all file in, dead silent. Some still have their horrified expressions, while others look miserable. We all settle in at the same table.  
“…I presume everyone got a video of their loved ones talking to them, before seeing a horrifying similar scene?” Everyone nods, although Chihiro and Fukawa both burst into tears. “As. As awful as this is. We can’t let it work. We have to stay sane, and not make any foolish mistakes. After all, if we do, we are just falling into Monobear’s paws.” Naegi stands up.  
“Is that all you have to say!?” He rubs his eyes with his jacket sleeve. “I just- I just saw people I care about get shot down in front of me, and you’re just talking about how we have to-“ He hiccups and sits back down, Kirigiri resting a hand on his back.  
I make my voice softer. “I know. I’m sorry. But we need to not turn into savages and try to escape, just for a video that might not even be real.” Slowly, everyone nods. “I believe we should all meet up tomorrow at 7 am exactly, in the cafeteria. For now… we should all try to rest.”  
With that, the informal meeting is adjourned, and I exit the cafeteria to head to my room. I plan to lock the door tight tonight- I may not be planning a murder, but with what I just said, anyone who is will probably come after me.  
I spend the next few hours switching between reading, and pacing around nervously. I have to think- who was the most upset? Who was the angriest? Who has the strength to commit murder, and who would their victims be?  
Unfortunately, the ones who seem the most unstable are Sayaka and Yamada- the two people I don’t want to leave. If either of them graduated… I would feel lonely. Not to mention that, if Yamada did kill someone, I would probably be the easiest target. For Sayaka… it might also be me, but it could be Togami or Kirigiri, the two people closest to Naegi. Maybe even Naegi himself.  
Oh, I don’t want to think about my classmates as murderers! Sure, they’re upset, but hopefully no one will give in to this school’s insanity and kill someone. Hopefully everyone will be present tomorrow morning… I double-check that my door is locked and turn off the lights, lying down on the bed. Monobear’s Night Time announcement comes on at 10 pm, and I slowly drift into sleep.  
Hours later- the clock says midnight- there is a loud knock on my door that wakes me up. Half asleep, I stumble over to the door and open it, leaning against the frame. “Wha is it…?” Through my blurred vision, I see Sayaka hugging a pillow tightly.  
“M..may I come in, Celes?”


	8. Chapter 8

I rub my eyes and silently open the door. I know this is probably a foolish mistake, but… She looks miserable, like she’s been crying. “Come in.” She walks past me and hugs her pillow tighter. “What’s wrong, Sayaka?” She sits on the bed.  
“I… I had a nightmare. Can I stay with you tonight, Celes? I can’t- I don’t want to be alone..!” I sit beside her.  
“Of course you may. Don’t even think otherwise.” I hug her before getting up and grabbing some extra blankets from my closet. “You can take the bed, I’ll sleep on the ground.” She has her own pillow, so I reach up to grab one of mine from the bed, but she grabs the sleeve of my dressing gown.  
“We… we can share the bed together, right? It’s big enough for two…” I hesitate, but pick back up the pillow and blankets from the floor. She really does seem panicked… I straighten out my dress and turn out the lights again before getting into bed.  
She sighs almost inaudibly and fluffs her pillow before lying down next to me. It’s… really odd having someone sleep next to me. Living on the school grounds near the other students is the closest I’ve had to a slumber party. But Sayaka seems comfortable and falls asleep almost immediately. It takes me a bit longer, but eventually I fall asleep.  
I have my alarm set to go off at 6:30, but when it rings I’m groggy and just slam my hand against the snooze button. Sayaka, on the other hand, rolls out of bed and onto the floor with an ‘oof’ sound. Despite everything, this throws us into giggles. I sit up and stretch.  
“Good morning, Sayaka-chan. How are you feeling?” She giggles and gets back onto the bed.  
“I feel much better, Celes. Thank you so much for letting me sleep over.” I smile at her and run my hand through my extension-less hair. It hits me that she saw me without my hair, but I can pass it off as cutting it.  
“No problem, Sayaka-chan. Feel free to sleep over any time. Hopefully, with less unpleasant circumstances.” She nods at me and stands up, stretching.  
“I should go clean up before the meeting at breakfast!” She grabs her pillow. “Oh, and I like your haircut, Celes! You should be a Super High School Level Hair Stylist!” She walks out the door and I hear her open the door to her room…  
Before hearing her scream loudly in alarm. I jump out of bed and into the hallway to stand beside her. There, in her room… is the body of Kyouko Kirigiri, lying on Sayaka’s bed.  
I’m frozen where I stand, looking straight at her. She’s been stabbed in points that I recognize from the map of the human body, with what looks like the sewing needle. She’s still bleeding…. I snap out of it and move Sayaka from the doorway, back into the hall. I hear some of the doors open from the other dorm rooms and when someone enters the room- Mondo Oowada, who looks stricken- an announcement plays overhead. “A body has been discovered! Please come to the gymnasium to discuss protocol!” I’m still looking over Kirigiri’s body. The needle was definitely the weapon, still sticking out of a hole in her neck, which makes me shudder. Who could have done this to her? And for no one to hear her scream…  
I push my way past Oowada and leave the room, taking Sayaka by the arm and leading her to the gym. She still seems in shock as she stumbles along beside me. The gym is full of people panicking and Monobear already on the stage, waiting for everyone to arrive.  
“Now then, everyone! Time to catch the culprit! Does anyone remember rule 6 in your student ID?”  
I speak up. “If a student commits a murder and doesn’t get caught, they get to graduate.” Hopefully now he’ll explain the ‘doesn’t get caught’ clause.  
“That’s right! You have a short time to conduct a murder investigation! After that, we can begin the trial! If the culprit is caught, they get punished! Is they aren’t, they get to leave, and everyone else is punished for letting the murderer walk free!” He grins evilly. “And by punish, I mean, they will get executed!” Everyone falls silent.  
“Why didn’t you tell us this before? Wouldn’t it have been a useful fact?” He laughs jovially.  
“Who would have committed the first murder if I said they or all their friends would have died?” He throws what looks like a PDA at me. “Now then, this is the Monobear File! It has all the information I can give you!” He throws one to each of the students and then disappears.  
I turn it on. The victim is Kyouko Kirigiri. Killed around 2 am, by multiple stab wounds, the weapon being the needle. Found in Sayaka Maizono’s dorm room. I can see the others get to that part, look up at Maizono with fearful eyes. I grab her hand and pull her out of the room.  
She’s mumbling under her breath. “Why… why my room, why not…” It couldn’t have been her. She was too shocked to see the body, and the time of death was after she came to my room. I think.  
I lead her to my room and force her to sit on the bed. “Stay here. Don’t let anyone in besides me, alright? I know you are innocent, and I’ll prove it to everyone. I swear, Sayaka. I will.” She looks at me, looking terrified, but nods her head. I hug her tightly and leave her my key before shutting the door behind me and going into Sayaka’s.  
She… no, it, is still there. Leon Kuwata stands against the wall, glaring at me when I enter, while Hagakure stands by the door and Oogami looks over the body. I nod at all of them. Leon sighs. “We all know it was Maizono, why are you even looking at the body? It had to have been her. It’s her room and all.” I glare at him and he freezes in surprise.  
“Sayaka was not the killer, and I will prove it at the trial. She is completely innocent.” He looks about to argue, but Hagakure holds a hand up and he falls silent. I walk over by the bed, opening a drawer. A sewing kit is inside… untouched. I slide it into the pocket on my nightgown- I really should get changed, but this is far more important- and look over at Kirigiri. Oogami pulled a dorm key out of Kirigiri’s pocket but put it down, more intent on the wounds. I silently pick it up and walk out.  
Down the hall, across from my room, a sign with Kirigiri’s picture covers a door. I enter the key and unlock the door before walking in. The room is plain, the only sign of someone living there the bed being rumpled and some papers on the desk. As much as I’d like to go to the papers first, I check the bedside drawer. No sewing kit. I continue checking the surrounding area, but nothing.  
On the desk are a few papers and a notebook. The top paper is a scribbled note. ‘Kyouko, please meet me in my room tonight. I have a confession…” The name is smeared, but when I look closer, I see an ‘i’ at the end. I put the note in my pocket. This will prove her innocence, and maybe even the killer.  
I head back to my room to check on Sayaka and change my clothes, but just as I knock on the door, the loudspeakers kick on. “Investigation time is now over!” I sigh and Sayaka opens the door. We follow the other students to a large red door that had before been locked. Trial time.


	9. The First Trial

When everyone arrives, we file into an elevator silently. Everyone backs away from Sayaka, except for me… and oddly enough, Oogami. She must have realized Sayaka isn’t the culprit, as well. Or she just isn’t frightened of her. The elevator descends a floor and the doors open to reveal a large room, with a judge’s stand, where Monobear is sitting, and 16 stands placed in a circle. One of them has a picture of Kirigiri, with her face crossed out.  
“Hey!” Togami yells. “What’s the meaning of this?!” He points to the picture of Kirigiri and the headmaster chuckles. “The school trial is for the entire class! She can’t be excluded just because she’s dead.” Togami crosses his arms and takes the stand with his name on it, which is next to the photo. My spot is between Togami and Sakura. Sayaka is all the way across from me, sandwiched between Yamada and Ishimaru. That can’t be pleasant.  
Everyone takes their places and Monobear cheers. “Now begin the discussion!” Leon jumps right in.  
“There isn’t much to discuss! It happened in Maizono’s room, with her sewing kit-“ I cut him off.  
“You’ve got that wrong.” I pull the sewing kit out of my pocket and toss it to him. “This is Sayaka’s sewing kit. It’s untouched. Therefore, it wasn’t her sewing kit used for the murder.” He scowls and tosses it back.  
Togami speaks up. “For all we know, that’s your own and you’re lying.” I grin.  
“No, because Kuwata-san, Hagakure-san, and Oogami-san were all in the room with me. Any or all of them must have seen me take it.”  
Hagakure nods. “Yeah, Celes-chi took it from the drawer while Sakura-chi was examining Kirigiri’s body!” Sakura also nods and adds, “Let’s start again. The murder took place in Sayaka Maizono’s room. The weapon was a needle, but it was not Sayaka’s.”  
“That’s because it was Kirigiri’s.” I mention. “I entered her room with the key you took from her pocket, and searched around. Her sewing kit was missing from the whole room. I also found this.” I pull out the note to Sakura and she reads it aloud. “Obviously, the killer called out Kirigiri-san- or, ‘Kyouko’- to come to their room. The killer is the one who wrote the note.”  
“Wait a second! You can’t prove that!” Junko says. “It could have been from the night before!”  
“Not if the ink was recently smudged- although, I find it interesting only the person who sent the letter’s name was smudged. Now then, we know their name ends in an ‘i’. So who are the possibilities?”  
Fukawa- no, Touko- speaks up. “Togami-kun, Naegi-kun, Oogami-chan, Aoi-chan, Yamada-kun, and Fujisaki-chan!” I smile at her.  
“You’re right! So who was close eno-“ Hagakure calls out.  
“Wait, couldn’t Sayaka-chi still have been the killer and just wrote the note to make it look like someone else?”  
I sigh impatiently. “No. First of all, she has an alibi. She was sleeping in my room when the murder occurred. Secondly, she wouldn’t have used a sewing needle, she would have used the pocket knife I gave her.” Everyone looks shocked. “I gave it to her for self-protection. Now, can we talk about the case?”  
“Okay, okay!” Touko says. “So the murder took place while Maizono-chan was in your room! But Kirigiri-chan was killed in Maizono-chan’s room, with her own sewing needle! And the person who sent the note was the killer, so the suspects are Togami, Naegi, Oogami, Aoi, Yamada, and Fujisaki!”  
Hagakure calls out again. “Sakura-chi and I were hangin’ out together, so it wasn’t her!” Sakura nods but looks uncomfortable when everyone stares at her.  
Fujisaki looks like he’s going to burst into tears. “I.. I was just sleeping…”  
“Well, we have to think about the weapon.” I say. “A sewing needle that punctured Kirigiri-san’s vital spots. Now then, to be able to hit those spots so well, the killer must have known before-hand what spots to hit. Now, every sewing kit came with those maps of the human body. But the boys didn’t get kits, and most likely wouldn’t get their hands on a map. So who does that leave?”  
Mukuro mumbles, “Aoi Asahina…” Asahina looks shocked.  
“Wha- I didn’t hurt Kirigiri-san! I couldn’t ha-“ I cut her off.  
“However, there’s another, far more likely possibility. After all, who would know human vital points without looking at the map? Who was close enough to Kirigiri to use her first name? And who-“ I turn to face Naegi, “-would be able to use Sayaka’s crush on them to get into her room? The answer is our Super High School Level Soldier.”  
His face pales. “I- I didn’t- I wouldn’t-!”  
“Last night, a little before midnight, you went to Sayaka’s room and found a way to convince her to let you stay there. Maybe you intended to kill her, or maybe you just wanted to frame her. But she quickly left and came to my room. With her out of the way, you wrote up a note to Kirigiri-san, asking her to come to your room. I assume you changed the signs, which would be easy since your room was right next to Sayaka’s. So Kirigiri came, but just in case, she brought her sewing kit and needle to protect herself. You probably planned to use the knife you keep hidden in your jacket sleeve, but when you noticed the needle you found an extra way to blame Sayaka. You found a way to get her to relax, and when her guard was down you took the needle and killed her. Then, at daybreak, you snuck out of her room and went to your own. Am I right, Naegi?”  
His skin is pure white, and his eyes keep shifting. Eventually they land on Sayaka, who’s quietly crying. “I…” His expression changes and he suddenly looks cold. “Yeah. I did it. I killed Kyouko. I didn’t know about this whole trial thing, but I noticed the not get caught part so I figured, hey, why not blame the annoying girl who wrote a self-insert book where she dated me. And Kyouko was easy- all I had to do was listen to her sob story about running away from home and she would trust me forever.”  
“You sicken me, Makoto Naegi.” I glare at him. Monobear speaks up from behind the podium.  
“Time to vote on the culprit!” I waste no time in voting for him, and almost none of the others do either. “Ah, almost a unanimous vote! Be careful, Sayaka Maizono, if you choose wrong next time…” A slot machine appears behind Monobear, and all three items come up as an odd picture of Naegi’s face. “Time for your execution!”  
The lights in the trial room shut off, and I feel my arm grabbed as I get dragged somewhere. A door opens and I’m shoved outside, along with all the other students. A fence separates us from Naegi, who is holding guns in both hands. Loud fanfare begins as bombs begin going off in the distance, and an army of Monobears charges forward.  
Naegi springs into action, shooting down the Monobears further back and tossing the closer ones into bombs. He takes down dozens and dozens of them, breaking them into pieces and shooting them and blowing them up. In the distance is a pink flag, with the word ‘Despair’ on it. Naegi begins running towards it, jumping over bodies and shooting anything in his path, until a human figure, too far for me to recognize, appears in front of the flag. Naegi stops in his tracks- his deadly mistake. Monobears swarm him from all angles and he disappears under them as the figure glitches out of existence.  
The music stops and the Monobears all leave. All that’s left of Makoto Naegi are bones. The original Monobear shoos us back into the trial room. We all comply, shell-shocked. To have a personal execution… it’s a horrifying thought.  
“And there you have it, folks! I hope this wonderful pattern continues!” The lights dim and we’re all shoved towards the elevator, heading back up to the first floor.


	10. Aftermath of the First Trial

Everyone slowly files out, heading to their rooms. I stay behind, leaning against a wall. Because I revealed Naegi as the culprit, he died… and so gruesomely… Sayaka also stays behind, sobbing quietly. She didn’t out him. She loved him too much to tell anyone that he was the killer, even me. While I… just told everyone and got him murdered. She must despise me.  
I leave and head to the cafeteria for a snack before bed. After grabbing an apple, I head back to my room but spot that the stairs are now open. Are we allowed to go to the second floor now…? I head up, curious. I walk to the left and through a door. There are two doors, one for boys and one for girls. I head into the girls one, using my Electronic ID Card to get me in. From there, it leads into a pool. I make a note of it and turn back, only to run into Aoi Asahina. Literally run into. She tumbles to the ground.  
“Oh, I’m sorry!” I help her back up. “Are you alright?” She weakly chuckles.  
“Yeah… So you noticed the stairs were open too?” I nod. She peeks through the door and grins. “Hey, a pool! Now Leon-kun will have a place to swim!”  
“Are you friends with Kuwata-kun?” She grins and nods.  
“We went to school together! In fact, he took up swimming because he loved my manga so much. Leon is my number one fan.” She frowns suddenly. “Although he told me recently he was going to give up swimming… I just hope that with this pool, he’ll remember how much he likes it again, and take it back up.” She sighs.  
“I wonder why he would want to give up his talent.” It kind of pisses me off. He has an amazing talent, but he wants to waste it, while I’d give anything for even the most pathetic of talents.  
I exit the room and she follows behind me as I go check out the other rooms. Bathroom, some messy classrooms, blocked off stairs going up… And then, at the end of the hall, a huge library. It’s absolutely enormous! I enter and start looking around. There are all sorts of genres here, everything from non-fiction to Sayaka’s romance novels to computer manuals to Asahina’s manga- which I grab off the shelf, since I haven’t read too much of it. She throws me a thumbs-up when she notices, but she’s wrapped up in an art book to come over and discuss it. I take the pile of books and leave, walking down the stairs.  
I make it to the dorms without incident, but standing outside my room is Sayaka. I drop the books on the ground. “Sayaka-chan… Are you alright?” She looks at my books curiously but shakes her head.  
“I… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Naegi, I…” I wrap an arm around her.  
“I understand. You loved him. You wouldn’t betray someone you care for, and that’s admirable. I wish I had a chance to do the same.” She sighs. “Would you like to stay in my room again tonight, Sayaka?” She nods and I unlock the door and bring in the books.  
She sits on the bed and sighs. “I just… why did this happen to us, Celes? Why couldn’t we just have a normal school life, why does it have to be this?!” I sit down next to her.  
“I know. It’s… ridiculous. Almost like a nightmare. I keep wanting to- to roll off the bed and wake up.” I flop back so I’m lying on my back and fold my arms behind my head. “I just hope that, after that scene, no one will be foolish enough to commit another murder. Who would risk such an awful execution just for a chance to leave?” She lies back too.  
“I never thought… Naegi would do that… But he’s changed, he’s changed so much. He was never like that before… I remember, our first year in junior high, he saved an injured bird, because he was worried about it. He took it home with him… But now he’s- he was a murderer. That’s…” She trails off and doesn’t speak for a while.  
“... We need to stay strong, and not let our emotions overrun us. If all of us can adapt to this new life, we will all be fine. If we can all become friends, or at least close enough to not cause any problems, we’ll be fine…”  
She sighs quietly. “You’re right…” She doesn’t sound like she believes it can happen, though. She gets off the bed. “Let’s just go to sleep…” She turns off the light and gets into bed. I fall asleep quickly, exhausted.


	11. Party Planning and Swimming Shenanigans

I wake up with the morning announcement, and get out of bed. Sayaka is still asleep, so I let her sleep while I take a shower and get ready to leave. I throw out my hair extensions. Since everyone’s seen me with short hair now, it’s pointless to keep them. When I’m done, I go shake her awake. “Sayaka, it’s after 7, let’s go get breakfast…” She rolls over and whines under her breath, but gets up.  
She heads over to her room but hesitates outside the door. God, what if Kirigiri’s body is still there? But when she opens the door, not only is the body gone, but the room is cleaned up. The body is gone, the sheets and blankets are changed, and items are all tidied up. She heads in and I start walking to the cafeteria, glad she’s okay.  
When I arrive, no one’s there. However, entering the kitchen, I come across Ishimaru, who’s cooking sausages. He smiles when he sees me. “Celestia-kun! Good morning!” He’s bounced back quickly.  
“Good morning, Ishimaru-kun. How are you?” He grins and moves to another burner, where eggs are cooking.  
“I am fine! I’m just cooking breakfast before…” He glances around. “The twins get here. I could not even stomach their food. I don’t know how they could…”  
I giggle. “They’re probably used to eating their own cooking. I’m sure that if someone showed them, they’d do better. Ikusaba-san, at least, seemed to do her best yesterday. And her portion of eggs seemed edible.” He laughs jovially and pulls the eggs off the burner and separating them onto two plates. He hands one to me. “Oh, thank you, Ishimaru-kun!”  
“It’s no problem, Taeko-kun!” He grabs his sausages and leaves before I realize what he just said. My plate nearly slips out of my hands. How could he know… and why did he act like it was so normal? I have to ask him…!  
I dash out of the kitchen, but while we were in there too many people had arrived. I’ll have to wait until everyone’s left. Oh dear god, this is so stressful. I spend the entire breakfast time on edge, nervous whenever someone mentions me in conversation or asks me something, terrified he’ll mention it. A few people notice how tense I am, but I just wave them off, saying I didn’t sleep right.  
It’s over an hour later when almost everyone is gone. Ishimaru is typing something in the corner, and Hagakure is cleaning dishes in the kitchen- I can hear ceramic plates break from here. I sit across from Ishimaru and fold my arms together over the table. “Ishimaru-kun, could you answer a question for me?” He nods, without looking up from his computer. “Why did you call me Taeko?”  
He freezes and slowly looks up from his laptop. “I… did?” I nod solemnly. He closes it before sighing. “I’m sorry, Celestia-kun. I was surprised that a princess was here, when I didn’t see one on the class roster, so I hacked into the headmaster’s computer to find out if you were…. telling the truth. I found your picture, along with a file for ‘Taeko Yasuhiro, Super High School Level Good Luck’.” I’m stunned into silence. “I- I don’t mind, if that’s the problem. In fact, I would prefer you being a normal person than a princess, it makes you easier to talk to!”  
I pull my hands under the table and take a deep breath. “I am… sorry for lying to you, Ishimaru-kun. I just. Preferred to imagine myself with a talent besides ‘able to win a lottery’. Next to all of the students with real talents, I was sure I would never fit in. I felt it was better to lie than be excluded from my class for my entire high school career.” He nodded.  
“It is alright, Taeko-kun! I forgive you! I just hope you forgive me for looking through your school file!”  
I smile at him. “You are also forgiven. Although I would prefer you not tell the other students, or refer to me as Taeko around them. The only other person who knows is Yamada.” He gives me an odd look. “He knows the royalty of Novoselic, and knows I wasn’t one of them.” Ishimaru nods in understanding, and I stand up. “I must take my leav- I’m gonna go back to my room. See you later, Ishimaru-kun!” He waves and I walk back to the dorms. God it’s weird talking normally to people. And who would have thought the two people who would find out my secret are the two that I know the least?  
I’m nearly at my room when I notice an open door. The sign on the outside shows it’s Naegi’s room, and I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. Who would be in there…?  
Sitting on Naegi’s bed is Togami, looking through what seems like a photo album. “What are you doing?” He shuts it quickly and glares at me.  
“It is none of your business, Ludenberg.” I roll my eyes.  
“You’re inside our dead classmate’s room, going through his things, with the door open. It’s everyone’s business.” He narrows his eyes at me and opens the album again, pulling out some photos and handing them to me.  
“Does this make it seem less weird?” The photos are all of two children that look like Naegi and Togami.  
“You knew him before going to Hope’s Peake?” He takes them back and puts them into the right slots.  
“I’ve known Naegi since I was born, practically. He was my next door neighbor for years, until I moved. He was my best friend.” He sighs. “I don’t know why he would kill Kirigiri. He was never like that before. Even when he started training as a soldier, he was the same person he always was- friendly and considerate.” He stands up, still holding the album. “And now he’s dead.” He walks past me and down the hall to his own room.  
I feel like a terrible person. He was just trying to get pictures of his best friend, and I basically attacked him for it. It wasn’t really my fault, I didn’t know, but still. Poor Togami. I shuffle to my room, feeling guilty. Across the hall, a door slams open and Touko comes out. She gins when she sees me.  
“Celestia-chan!” She walks over to me. “Fukawa and I just had a great idea! Let’s all throw a party!”  
“…huh?”  
“Well, everyone’s so upset from the… trial and everything. We should all lighten up with a party or something! Eat food, play games!” She smiles. “Honestly, though, it’s kind of a selfish wish of mine, too, because I’ve never had a chance to go to a party that wasn’t full of social-climbing older celebrities. A teen party would be so fun. But mostly, think about how everyone could just hang out and have fun! We could all talk for hours.” Her words mostly blend together from how fast she talks, but I get the picture.  
“It sounds fun, Touko-san. We could decorate the gym, and play party games. I’ve never been to a real teen party either, and I’m sure most of the others would enjoy the experience. Why don’t we all discuss it at dinner tonight?” She nods and walks off, probably to go tell the others.  
A party… I should have thought of that. Everyone can unwind after that horrid execution. Not to mention that bonding at a party might make people hesitate to kill. I smile and actually succeed into getting into my room- finally.  
I spend an hour or so reading the first few volumes of Asahina’s manga. My original view of it was actually pretty rude. Yes, the storyline is a bit overdone- the swimmer has to be the best there ever was and get the girl in the process- but the way she writes and draws it makes it seem original and exciting. I’m almost impatient to see if he gets the best times at his swim meets, or if his injury leads to any serious issues.  
When I run out of the series, I stuff them all in a bag to take back to the library and head up the stairs. When I pass the pool, I overhear laughter and become curious. I put the books in a locker in the girls changing room and poke my head into the pool room.  
Asahina is sitting on the bleachers, chatting with Kuwata, who is in the pool. She has a sketchpad open and seems to be drawing something between sentences. I quietly get back into the changing room and shut the door silently before collecting my books again and dropping them off at the library. I get the next few from the series and head back to my room, but find myself curious about what they were talking about. The only way I can think to find out is by being in the same room, so I grab my nicest swimming suit and head back up. I change speedily in the changing rooms and head inside. They’re still in the exact same places.  
“Ah, hello, Asahina-san, Kuwata-san!” Kuwata waves, his attention focused on Asahina, but she turns to look at me.  
“Ah, hi, Celestia-chan! Come to swim?”  
“That’s correct. I was reading your manga, and the main character’s emotions about swimming moved me so much, I decided to go swimming for the first time in ages.” Her eyes light up.  
“Ah, he inspired you to swim? That’s exactly what I was hoping to do with my manga! I’m so glad you like it!” She claps her hand together excitedly before standing up. “Have fun swimming, I need to go ink this page!” She gets off the bleachers and exits through the female changing room. I look over at Kuwata, who watches her until the door closes behind her.  
“You seem smitten, Kuwata.” His face flushes and he glares at me.  
“Yeah? So what?” I hold my hands up nonthreateningly.  
“I wasn’t trying to be aggressive, Kuwata-kun. Just stating a fact. She mentioned yesterday that you used to go to junior high together, and that you were a fan of her books. Is that why you like her?”  
He looks conflicted, and then sighs. “I wasn’t really a fan of her books- I’m not too big on reading. But when I met Aoi-chan, she mentioned she liked swimmers, so I decided to take it up. Then she became popular for her books, and I became popular for my swimming times, so I tried to flirt with it but she never even noticed.” I sit down next to the pool, dipping my feet in. Why is it that a simple question somehow leads to a heart-to-heart with everyone in this school?  
“That must be awful for you, Kuwata-kun. Is she completely oblivious to your advances?”  
He nods. “It’s so frustrating. I’ve tried sucking up to her, trying to make her jealous, even bad pick-up lines, but nothing. She just thinks we’re friends, and not even close ones.”  
“I’m sure if you made your affections clear, she would respond. She talks about you in a positive light, you know. And she’s happy that you enjoy swimming.” He pouts and I nearly laugh at his expression.  
“I don’t even like swimming, I just took it up for her. I want to be good at something else.” He perks up. “Hey, maybe Ikusaba-san can teach me some baseball!”  
“I’m sure she would.” I slip into the water. It’s heated and comfortable. Kuwata and I spend a while swimming- although of course he beats be in every attempt at a race, besides when I cheat. When I get exhausted, I get out of the pool and start to wave goodbye, but cut myself off.  
“Hey, Kuwata-kun, Touko-san is planning a party, we’re all going to discuss it at dinner, so come on time, alright?” He nods and dives underwater, which I take as a yes. I shower in the changing room and get dressed.


	12. Heart to Heart Talks and a Fortune

I get back downstairs, thinking about how fun it was to swim with Kuwata-kun. I hear loud noises coming from the gymnasium, and head over curiously. Inside, Hagakure and Oowada are carrying a table from the cafeteria- with Touko sitting on it- to the side of the room. When she sees me, Touko jumps off the table- the boys sigh in relief- and walks up to me. “Hey, Celestia! We’re getting all set up for the party!”  
I smile. “I noticed. Have you decided when it’s going to be?”  
“Tomorrow at noon! The sooner the better, but we have to make sure everyone comes! Hell, even Fukawa promised to make it and she hates parties.” I tilt my head curiously.  
“You can talk to her, even though you’re the same person?” She waves that suggestion away and laughs.  
“Nah, we just write each other letters before we change. We used to make videos, but I don’t have my camera here, I must have lost it when I passed out.”  
“Touko-san, I’m actually pretty curious about you and Fukawa. I know you talk about it a lot in interviews, but I hope you don’t mind talking to m-“  
“It’s no problem, Celestia. Talking about it a lot just means I’m used to it! Fukawa and I have shared a body for as long as I remember, but she says that it started in middle school. I have to trust her, since she’s the original.” She gets a sad look on her face, but wipes it away. “Our therapist used to say that I would disappear if Fukawa got friendlier with other people, but then Fukawa and I became friends. She refused to let me disappear, and now we have an agreement going. I take all the stressful, social interaction, and she takes the rest of the time.  
“When I became an idol, she was freaked out for a while because her classmates would know we aren’t the same person, but then when we outed ourselves and everyone accepted up, life became way easier for her. She doesn’t come out as much now- the whole killing thing terrifies her- but-” She leans in close and whispers, “she insists on being free when Byakuya Togami’s out. She has a huge crush on him. Don’t tell anyone!” She winks.  
“I promise I won’t. And thank you very much for telling me this, Touko-chan.” She waves and heads back to the boys. So much for her no-dating rule, it seems, when she puts her hand on Oowada’s arm and talks about how muscle-y he is and how useful that must be for a hall monitor. He looks about to pass out from shock. I chuckle quietly and leave the room, deciding to go recruit some others to help out with the party.  
Mukuro Ikusaba is in the hall, reading quietly by the trophy room door. “Oh, hello, Ikusaba-san!” She looks up and quietly smiles.  
“Hi, Celestia-san. How are you?”  
I smile. “I’m alright. Or, as alright as I can be in this place. May I ask what you’re reading?” She holds it up to show me the title, and it’s a self-help book on discovering your life goals. “Deep reading. So, have you heard about the party tomorrow?”  
She chuckles. “How could I not? Touko-san has been running around everywhere telling everyone. I’ve been roped into bringing my sports equipment in case someone wants to play catch.”  
I laugh. “I’m sure Leon-kun would take you up on that, he told me earlier he was going to ask you if you would teach him to play baseball.” I sit down in the spot next to her. “Do you mind if I ask why you’re reading that?”  
She loses her smile immediately. “I… just found it in the library and found it interesting. I only have one goal, and it’s not very... nice. So I decided I would read this.” It would probably be rude to ask what her goal is, if it’s ‘not nice’.  
“It’s good to try to discover yourself. I know I often feel… conflicted with myself, and I have no real goals. Will you tell me when you’re finished it, so I can take it out from the library?” She nods, and I stand up. “I need to go hunt down some of the others. Do you know where Enoshima-san and Oogami-san are?”  
She frowns. “Junko is in her room, but I haven’t seen Oogami-san today. You should go ask Hagakure-san.”  
“Ah, thanks anyway.” Touko has Hagakure working in the gym, so I’ll ask him later. For now, I just head down to the dorms again, and knock on Enoshima-san’s door. It opens immediately.  
“Sis, I knew you weren’t ma- Oh. Hey, Celestia-san, what’s up?” She leans against the door frame, trying to hide her disappointment.  
“Sorry to interrupt you, Enoshima-san, But Ikusaba-san said I could find you hear.” She opens the door wide.  
“Come in, come in!” She walks inside. The room looks nothing like yours. The lights are all out, and she’s covered every surface with candles. There’s a canopy around her bed, and it looks like she’s drawn symbols all over the walls. She notices my hesitation. “Oh, don’t freak out. My eyes are light sensitive, so I prefer candles to full on light. And the symbols are good luck and protection charms.” Enoshima is far weirder than I thought. I come inside anyway. She opens the canopy on the bed and sits down, while I take the desk chair. “So what are you here for? Ooh, you want a fortune? I can do that!” I shake my head.  
“No, that’s not quite what I’m here for, but close. Have you heard about the party?” Her puzzled expression says no. “Well, Touko-san decided we should all have a party tomorrow as a way to relax after the whole trial issue. It will be in the gym at noon. I was hoping you’d be willing to both show up, and perhaps give out fortunes. I think it would be fun!” She practically leaps off the bed in excitement.  
“I’d love to! I’ve been dying to read Togami’s fortune, and this will give me an excuse to!” She whirls around to face me. “And you, too, I have conflicting feelings about your future!” She takes my right hand. “Mind if I…?” I nod in acceptance and she closes her eyes. She’s completely still for a few moments.  
She suddenly lets go, her face stern. “You’re going to have two serious choices in the near future. Each one will affect not only you, but everyone in the school. Be sure to choose right, or you could hurt everyone, even the people you care about.” She eases into a smile. “You may have made mistakes in the past, but you don’t have to make them again. You’ll know what to do when the time comes.” She bites her lip. “One last thing. You have to keep hope in your heart. Otherwise, you’ll drag everyone into despair.”  
“I… understand, Enoshima-san. Thank you very much.” She suddenly becomes her usual, happy self.  
“Don’t worry about it! And call me Junko-chan, Enoshima isn’t even my real last name!” I wonder what the story behind that is, but I don’t mind. Her real last name is probably Ikusaba, like her sister.  
“Alright, Junko-chan.” I stand up. “I need to go find Oogami-san, so I’ll see you at dinner.” She grins.  
“Oogami is in the sauna!” I furrow my eyebrows. There’s a sauna? “Haven’t you seen it? It’s through the hall, in the public bath. See ya!” I leave and head towards the public bath, intent on finding Oogami.


	13. Saunas and Pictures

I keep thinking over what Junko’s prediction was. How could what my, of all people, decisions affect everyone? And how will I know what the decisions are? Maybe, because I make bacon for breakfast instead of eggs, I’ll end up killing everyone in the school. That fortune was too vague!  
Oh. Vague. She probably just made it up! Then, afterwards, she can say I made the right choices and everyone’s alright. I do believe she gives real fortunes, but maybe my future was so dull she wanted to spice it up. That seems like the kind of girl Junko is. I enter the public bath and undress, grabbing a towel to wrap around myself when entering the sauna. Sure enough, there is Oogami.  
She really is small and skinny for a girl whose parents own a dojo. Of course, according to what I heard when I snuck into the dojo, she disliked wrestling and fighting. I suppose I can ask her later. “Hello, Oogami-san.” She nods in greeting and I sit down. I’ve never been in a sauna before, but it feels nice.  
“I was actually looking for you. Have you heard about the party?” She shakes her head no. “Well, Touko wanted to throw a party so we could all unwind, so we’ll all be at the gym tomorrow. I hope you can come. We’re also trying to use people’s talents for games, so if you have any mystery stories you could tell, that’d be fun.”  
She smiles. “I would love to.” She stands up. “I have been in here too long. I will see you later, Celestia-san.” She leaves the room and I sigh. She doesn’t seem too friendly. She was okay when we were cooking, and around Hagakure… maybe she’s just not fond of talking one on one with people. That’s understandable.  
I stay in a bit longer, enjoying the steam, but leave when I start to feel dizzy. I dip into the bath, feeling gross and sweaty, and clean myself off before drying and getting dressed. I head back to my room, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. I should use the sauna more often.  
On my way to the dorms, I step on a piece of paper. When I pick it up, I realize it isn’t a paper- it’s a picture, of Kirigiri and Naegi, her laughing at him and him fake-pouting. I pay attention to the background, a classroom that looks familiar, and get a pang of recognition. But they acted like they never met before, how could they have taken this picture if they’re both… dead? I slip it into my pocket, deciding to hold onto it for a while. Maybe they did go to school together but never mentioned it, and it just fell out of Naegi’s photo book when Togami took it.  
I head to my room, feeling uneasy. This photo… could mean so much more. What if they aren’t dead, and I was right, it’s all a prank? There are kinds of acupuncture that can stimulate death, right? What if I was wrong about the vital spots and she was just hit in the right places to seem dead? And we didn’t really see Naegi die, he was covered in Monobears. He could have escaped and fake bones were left where he was!  
I need more information before I tell the others, though. I could just be bringing their hopes up for no reason. I wonder if this is one of the decisions Junko was talking about..? God I hope not, that makes this much more stressful.  
I walk down the hallway as I ponder, and get into my room. I hide the picture behind a different picture I keep in a frame, hoping that no one will find it there. I don’t want someone getting the wrong assumption about it, or worse, how I got my hands on it. I spend hours considering all the possibilities, but it comes to the same end- I can’t be sure of anything until I have more evidence. If I can find more of these pictures, maybe I can come to a better conclusion.  
I’m mentally exhausted when I’m done, and decide to take a short nap. I set my alarm for an hour, and fall asleep, dreaming of a normal high school life, where Kirigiri and Naegi are alive again and not murderous. It almost feels more like a memory than a dream, so when I wake up I’m discombobulated and have to pick apart what is reality and what was the dream.  
When I’ve figured out what’s real, I decide to head to dinner a bit early, feeling starve. It looks like I’m not the only one, because Fukawa- Fukawa? Yeah, not Touko- is eating a light dinner of beans and rice. “Hello, Fukawa-san. You’re eating early today.” She seems startled, and narrows her eyes.  
“…are you mocking me?” I must look confused. “It’s my turn for the body, and no one would want Fukawa at their precious dinner, not disgusting trash like me. Of course I’m eating early.” She stands up, still holding the bowl. I’m stunned into silence. “I’ll get out of your way.” She leaves the room, heading out to the hallway.  
That was… fairly odd. I didn’t know Fukawa thought she was… I just assumed she was as pleasant as her counterpart. I should try my best to be nice to her, next time I see her. She probably hates herself for not having talent like Touko. It must be as awful for her as it is for me, if not worse because she has to deal with the stress of everyone expecting more. Poor Fukawa…  
I just have some fruit, not wanting to spoil my appetite for dinner. After all, dinner is the most fun, because everyone can talk about what they did all day. Afterwards, maybe I can ask Fujisaki-san if he’ll teach me some card games - I wonder if I actually have good luck, and if so, how it’ll hold up against a Super High School Level Gambler.  
People start showing up from dinner, by themselves or in groups. By normal dinner time, everyone is here- except for Fukawa and Togami.


	14. Nightmares and Dresses

However, halfway through dinner- chicken and mashed potatoes, ‘sadly’ started before Junko and Mukuro showed up- Togami does appear, looking tired. He grabs a plate of the kitchen and the last of the chicken before sitting down. Any questions about where he was are just answered with “I was taking a nap.” I’ve already mentioned to everyone that Fukawa wasn’t up to joining us, so her absence isn’t questioned as much.  
I eat until I’m full and wait until Fujisaki is done eating to ask him to teach me how to play poker. An hour later, and everyone is gone besides us. After the first few rounds, where I was just figuring out how to play, we became pretty evenly matched. He’s an amazing player, but I’m an even better liar. By the end, I owe him five bucks, but I’ve had a lot of fun. I bid him a good night and head to my room.  
I’m somewhat surprised when I see that Sayaka isn’t outside my door, but she must feel better. In fact, I haven’t really spoken to her all day… I’ve been too busy with everyone else. Tomorrow, at the party, I’ll be sure to talk to her a lot. Maybe bring up the picture of Naegi and Kirigiri, if she really seems okay. I need to tell someone about it, or I’ll go crazy. I take it out of the frame to get another look at it and notice, hidden in the background, a mirror. With a close look, I can recognize the photographer… as Togami… Oh god. Is that where he was today? He knows where they are and he took a freaking PICTURE of them?   
…okay, I’m probably wrong. More likely than not, this was taken before they died, maybe with the camera Touko lost. The classroom does look like the one I woke up in… But no, wait. The windows aren’t blocked. It couldn’t be our school. Unless, perhaps, they got into a higher floor somehow, and didn’t tell us? Arg, this is so frustrating!  
I have to ask him tomorrow. I put the picture back in the frame, turn out the lights, and fall asleep. This time, my dreams aren’t of a peaceful school life. It is entirely a dystopia, buildings collapsed and burning bright as people scream. Bombs go off in the distance, and an armed man shoots down a group of terrified pedestrians. Two people are holding my hands, and we walk together as the world crumbles behind us. I turn to look at one of them when I awake.  
My heart is pounding in fear and I tremble, horrified. Despite knowing it was just a dream, I can’t help but be terrified. It takes ages to stop shaking like a leaf. I have to turn on all the lights before I feel comfortable at all. I need something to distract me, so I decide to look at the picture again for any clues. However, when I check it’s hiding spot, it’s missing.  
…was it ever there at all? Or was it just part of the dreams? The door is still locked, and there’s nothing suggesting anyone came in… maybe I was just wishing they were okay. Maybe I’m just going crazy, daydreaming about saving the dead. I sob quietly and curl up under my blankets.  
I stay like that for hours, until the morning announcement turned on. I got out of my bed and went through my morning routine, feeling like a zombie. I put on normal teenage clothes, not really up to being a princess today- at least, until the party. Hopefully then I can be cheerful enough to pass off as Celestia Ludenberg, instead of pathetic, crazy Taeko Yasuhiro.  
I shuffle my way to the cafeteria. Everyone is extra loud and happy today, and I just can’t take it. I head into the kitchen without attracting notice and sit at a counter with a bowl of cereal, only half of which I eat. I wash my bowl when I’m done, and try to leave stealthily. Unfortunately, I catch Junko’s eye.  
“Celestia-chan, why’d you eat in the kitchen?” I feel all eyes on me and sigh, turning to them. I’m sure they all see the bags under my eyes. I put on a tired smile to match. “I have a headache, but I didn’t want to drag you all down…”  
“Don’t worry about it, Celes-chi, come sit with us!” I shake my head no at Hagakure. “I’m sorry, I need to go take a nap before the party…” With that, I leave quickly. The truth is, I don’t want to go to sleep. I’m terrified of what I’ll see if I do. Stupid nightmares, messing up my sleeping schedule. I know I have to take a nap, though, unless I want to fall asleep during the party. Even a nightmare would be preferable to falling asleep around a whole bunch of teenagers, half of which are boys.  
My room is silent except for my breathing, which unsettles me and makes me nervous. The lights are off, but shadows are still looming over me, getting larger as I stare at them. I duck under the covers, terrified… but the warm darkness of the blankets lure me to sleep. I don’t dream, thank god. I’m only woken up by someone knocking on my door, and I reluctantly get up to answer it.  
Sayaka stands in the hall. “Celes, are you okay? The party’s about to start…” I’ve really slept 3 or 4 hours?  
“I’m sorry, Sayaka, I was just so tired.” I notice she’s wearing a nice dress. “You look fancy. Is it for the party?” She nods. “Come in, help me choose something to wear.” I turn on the lights and she comes inside, going straight to my wardrobe. Most of my clothes are black or grey, but she picks out an old white sundress and hands it to me.  
“Wear this, I’m sure you’d look great in it!” I go into the bathroom to change and put in my contacts. After I’ve brushed my hair, I have to agree, I do look nice in white. Wonder what happened to all of my white clothes..?  
I exit the bathroom and spin around for her. She loudly approves, and we head to the gym together. I hesitate in the trophy room, not wanting to go through the door, but she lightly pushes me in and I take a few steps. Inside, it’s absolute chaos.


	15. Piggy Back Rides and Parties

I feel ill when I enter the room. It’s loud and everyone is talking at once and Touko is doing karaoke as loud as she can while Kuwata claps for her and I lean against the wall, feeling sick all over again. I should have just ignored Sayaka and slept more. She takes my hand and leads me to the group, grinning.  
Sure enough, she’s right, and I feel better after talking to everyone. Mocking Kuwata’s singing is my new favorite thing to do, I discover, when he tries to sing some American pop song he doesn’t even know how to pronounce. More fun is my attempt at singing some old folk song I’ve never heard before. It goes terribly, because I can’t sing, but it makes everyone laugh, even Togami, who looks reluctant to be here. When I’m done, I flop down on the ground between Yamada and Ishimaru.  
Mondo sings next- also known as ‘is shoved up to the karaoke machine’- and does fairly well, although we get some giggles in when he skips the curse words. I feel much better and let out a quiet sigh. I nearly jump when Ishimaru suddenly rests his hand on mine. I look over and he’s staring straight at Mondo, refusing to look at me. I feel conflicted, but don’t pull away. Some part of me feels like it’s familiar, like it’s supposed to be like that. Probably just the crazy dreams again. Still, I keep my hand under his and relax, only pulling away when Sayaka tells me I have to sing a duet with her.  
Eventually I find myself sitting next to Mukuro, who’s refused to sing every time it was her turn. “Hey, Mukuro-san, if you don’t want to sing alone, why don’t we sing together?” We’re behind everyone else, and Touko’s energetic singing nearly drowns out her response.  
“There’s no point when Junko can do it better.” I furrow my eyebrows.  
“What, you don’t want to sing just because you’re worse than Junko-chan. I mean, we’re all pretty terrible- well, almost all, anyway- so it’s not just you.”  
“That’s not the point.” I bite my lips.  
“So it’s… Junko is the problem. Is it some sort of… sibling rivalry?” She laughs cruelly.  
“Oh, rivalry, if that was it, it’d be simple. But it’s just me with the issue. Junko is happy and perfect, why would she care about her sister whose only talent is hitting stuff with bats and running around in a square? But oh, Junko Enoshima, famous fortune teller, so ashamed of her sister she changed her last name.” She practically snarls every word. “I’d give anything to be so famous people would ask HER, ‘oh, you’re related to Mukuro Ikusaba?’”  
I sit silently and she takes a deep breath. “Sorry for dumping that on you. I’m just really angry at her right now. We got into a fight the other day, and she still hasn’t apologized.” I remember Junko practically jumping at the door when she thought it was Mukuro.  
“Mukuro-san, I think if you told her you weren’t too angry at her, she would apologize in a heartbeat. She seems very upset that you’re fighting.” Mukuro raises her eyebrows and tilts her head at Junko, who’s getting a piggyback ride from a reluctant Togami. “Alright, not this moment, but yesterday she was.”  
Mukuro shrugs. “When she apologizes to me, we can talk again. Until then, she can deal with it.” She gets up and walks away, and I sigh. She’s either really upset, or just cold. I get up as well, but to move over to the table where Chihiro, Ishimaru, and Mondo are all playing poker. I sit next to Ishimaru and try to help him win, but he quickly gets trounced. Instead we play go fish together and watch as Togami tries to throw Junko off of his back, but fails miserably.  
I end up winning go fish, and Sayaka comes over, demanding to play crazy 8s- which Ishimaru finally wins. After a couple more rounds, Sayaka decides to play ’52 Pick-up’- and basically throws the deck everywhere in a fit of anger. I laugh and put them all away, and she drags me over to where Asahina is drawing everyone in her art style. She draws the two of us together, with me in an elegant princess dress and Sayaka in a gorgeous dress made of book pages. I take it, and promise to put it up on my wall.  
Three hours after the party started, we all start to wind down from the excitement. Some people have wandered off to their respective rooms, while others are just talking to each other, but nothing is as exciting as it was earlier. I end up discussing good situations to break rules with Oowada, Chihiro, and Yamada, but quickly become bored. I’m about to excuse myself to head to my room when the loud speaker turns on. We all freeze where we stand and fall silent immediately.  
Quickly, Monobear’s voice booms out. “All students, please report to the gym for an announcement!” We all turn to the closed curtain and wait in fear.


	16. My Biggest Secret

When the last person arrives, the curtains fall open to reveal Monobear, who’s holding a basket of papers. I hold my breath as he grins. “Good afternoon, students! And welcome to the second motivation!” He folds the papers into airplanes and throws them at each person. “This motivation is… ‘My Biggest Secret’! You have one week for there to be a murder, before your secret is told to not only your classmates, but everyone in Japan! Good luck!”  
I open mine, knowing exactly what it is. As I suspected, it said, ‘Celestia Ludenberg, Super High School Level Princess, is actually Taeko Yasuhiro, Super High School Level Good Luck. She’s pretending to be a princess because she’s worthless otherwise.’ I crumple it up and throw it into the trash on my way out the door, not even looking at my fellow classmates.  
Two people already know my secret, and like me anyway. If everyone else found out, I’m sure they would be okay with it over time. It’s not a secret I would kill for, at least, not anymore. However… I’m sure some of my classmates have something they’d kill for. The question is who, and who they would kill. I need to stay on my guard, maybe get a new weapon from the kitchen, since I gave mine to Sayaka.  
I’m walking to the kitchen when someone calls my name from behind me. I turn around and it’s Touko, jogging after me. “Celes, Celes, wait up!” She skids to a halt next to me and sighs in relief. “Good, I caught you! Listen, can we talk?” She doesn’t even let me answer. “Because I think that it’d be safer to share my secret with someone, but if I don’t choose someone Fukawa might tell Togami, and I don’t trust him, you know? And of all the people here, you seem the most honest and trustworthy and least likely to murder someone, even for a secret, so can I confess to you?”  
As energetic as Touko is, I don’t think she’s the stereotype she seems to be. I don’t think she would tell anyone my secret, as long as I kept quiet about hers. “Alright. Although, let’s not discuss it here. We don’t want someone listening in.” She nods and grabs me by the arm, leading me to her room. She opens the door wide, apparently having left it unlocked, and walks in. I’m forced to follow, of course, and am surprised by how conflicting her room is. The left half is painted, covered in blues and yellows and random smears of color. The right is untouched, the original wallpaper of the room, although it has… posters of Togami tacked up. That must be Fukawa’s side. The bathroom door is shut and has a chair in front of it, which I look at curiously, but Touko ignores completely and sits me in an armchair she has next to a regular desk chair, which she sits in.  
“Okay. So.” She seems antsy. “I need you to not judge, okay?” I nod, and she sighs. “I don’t just have two personalities. I have three. Touko, Fukawa, and… Syo.”  
“….ahem. You mean, Syo, as in… Genocider Syo?” The famous serial killer, whose victims of choice is all famous people? Although, if it was Touko, that would explain how Syo can get at even idols and movie stars… And why she’s never been caught. “I… wow.”  
“I have her under control, though! Notice there hasn’t been an attack in months? We’ve started getting along, and she just told me she won’t kill anyone here, because it would be too obvious…” She bites her lip. “Please don’t hate me just because of her.”  
“No, no, I don’t, I understand. As long as she isn’t killing people, it’s all fine, right? Although you should probably tell the others, if only out of respect for them. I’m sure most of them wouldn’t hold it against you.” She beams.  
“You think so?” She relaxes in her chair. “Yeah, okay, I’ll tell them tomorrow, at breakfast! So… what’s your secret, Celes?”  
It’s my turn to be uncomfortable and nervous. “Now, you need to promise me you won’t hate me for this. I’m not… Celestia Ludenberg. And I’m not a princess.” I don’t look at her reaction. “My real name is Taeko Yasuhiro. I’m actually just a normal person. I don’t have any talent. I got into Hope’s Peake by winning a lottery, so I’m called Super High School Level Good Luck. But I thought you all would shun me for not having a talent, like all of you…” I take up a deep breath and look at her, only for my chair to nearly fall back as she hugs me.  
“It’s okay, Celes, I understand! Being a normal person around talented people must be so stressful, it’s no surprise you’d make up something like that! Does anyone else know?” She’s practically smothering me…  
“Um, Ki- Ishimaru and Yamada both know. And you now, too, so that’s three.” She looks puzzled.  
“You haven’t told Maizono? I thought she was your best friend.” Best friend? Is that how I would describe her? Well, we have been fairly close, comforting each other and having what are basically sleepovers… Maybe we are best friends. At the least, we’re friends.  
“I just… don’t know how to bring it up. ‘Oh, Sayaka, have I mentioned I’m a total liar and basically everything you know about me is wrong?’ I just don’t think it will go over well, even if I try to word it nicely.” She nods knowingly.  
“But you think I should confess to everyone, even if I don’t know them too well. Shouldn’t you confess to her, if you’re really friends?” She’s probably right. Even if Sayaka is angry at first, she’ll understand why I didn’t tell her at first. If we’re really friends, we can get over this.  
“You’re right, Touko-chan. She’ll forgive me. I’ll tell her soon. But… would you mind not telling anyone for a while? I want to be the one to tell everyone, when I’m comfortable.” She nods vigorously and hugs me tightly one last time before letting go.  
I stand up from my seat. “I was on my way to do something when you grabbed me. Would you mind if I go?” She shakes her head and turns on the television and a game system. Her games call to me… She notices the expression on my face and smiles. “Wanna play Left 4 Dead with me?” I sit down next to her and take a controller. I’ve never played before, and I’m pretty sure she turns into Fukawa for about half an hour in the middle of it, but I have a lot of fun before I finally leave, promising to play the next map with her tomorrow.


	17. Past Lives

I make it to the kitchen soon enough and grab one of the smaller knifes from the set on the wall. I grab a bag of chips and hide the knife in there as I head to my room- it’d be a little awkward if someone saw me stalking through the halls with a knife in hand. As I pass Sayaka’s room, the door opens and she pokes her head out. “Oh, Celes… Can you come here?” I walk over and she tugs me into her room.  
She shuts the door and pulls a crumpled paper out of her pocket. MY crumpled paper. “Celes… No, Taeko, why didn’t you tell me…?” I’m frozen in my spot. My mouth opens, but no sounds come out. “I don’t care that you don’t have a talent, but that you lied to me… Togami gave this to me. TOGAMI. I couldn’t even hear it from you.”  
“I’m… sorry, Sayaka, I just- I didn’t know how to tell you.” So Togami pulled my paper out of the trash? Was he really that curious? “I swear, I was going to tell you soon, I just… was scared about what you’d think of me. I’m sorry.” I duck my head, afraid to look at her. I hear her sigh.  
“Let me think for a bit. I won’t tell anyone, though.” I don’t bring up that some of the others know, not wanting to anger her more, and just nod my head and leave. I really messed this up… I shut myself into my room, pull the knife out of the bag, and eat a few chips. If she forgives me, I’ll tell her everything she wants to know. Who I really am, what I know about the other students, even the picture I found that may or may not exist. I wonder if I could get my hand on Naegi’s photo album that Togami took… the jerk told Sayaka my secret before I could, I don’t even care about his privacy, I’m breaking into his room when I know he’s not there.  
There’s a loud knock on my door and I jump up to answer it, hoping it’s Sayaka. Unfortunately, it’s just Ishimaru. My expression falls. “Oh, hello, Ishimaru-kun.”  
He frowns. “Is this a bad time? What’s wrong, Celestia-kun?” I open the door to allow him in and go sit on my bed. He follows, shutting the door behind him, and sits next to me on the bed like it’s no big deal. I’m about to tell him about Sayaka, but instead, what falls out of my mouth is, “Ishimaru, did we know each other before Hope’s Peake?”  
He looks stunned. “What… do you mean, Taeko?”  
“I feel like I know you already. It’s just… weird. I feel like there’s a time we were friends that I can’t remember…” I laugh tonelessly. “Weird, right? I’m probably just crazy.”  
However, he grabs me by my hands and looks me straight in the eyes. “I feel exactly the same, Taeko! Perhaps we knew each other in another life!” His earnest expression startles me, but I soon ease into a smile.  
“Yeah… maybe we did.” It hits me how close he is and I flush slightly. It’s pretty odd to have a boy in my room. And on my bed. And still holding my hands. And staring into my eyes… It doesn’t feel as odd as it should, though. Once again, I feel comforted, like this is normal, like this should be happening. And when he lets go of one of my hands to run his fingers through my hair, and tilt my head a bit, I just close my eyes and lean in.  
He kisses me and I can’t help but think we fit together perfectly. I link our fingers together and gently squeeze, and he gently squeezes back before pulling away with a ridiculous grin. “Th-thank you very much, Taeko!”  
The fact that he’s thanking me for a kiss throws me into giggles and he soon joins me. I lean into him as I catch my breath. “You… you don’t have to thank me for a kiss, you idiot.”  
He chuckles. “You sound like your old self, Taeko.” I give him a questioning look, and he looks startled. “That just slipped out… Ha, perhaps we really were together in a past life, and this is my subconscious’s attempt to remind me.”  
“Ha…” We stay like that for a while, quiet. Eventually, he looks at my clock.  
“It is nearly dinner, Taeko! We should go join the others.” I nod and we stand up together. We hold hands on the way to the cafeteria, but both let go right at the doors. He opens the door for me and we walk in. I see Touko give me a grin and a wink from where she’s sitting next to Kuwata. I ignore her, but my face colors slightly as he pulls my seat out for me and takes the spot next to me. We get a few odd looks, but I just wave them off.  
Dinner is uneventful, except for Sayaka’s obvious chilliness towards me and Ishimaru’s kindness. I finish dinner quickly and start to leave, but Ishimaru grabs my hand, looking determined. He whispers into my ear, “Please meet me in the library at midnight, I’d like to show you something.” I nod and he lets go with a smile. I walk back to my room in a haze, wondering what it is he wants to show me.  
I’m anxious the entire night, practically bouncing on my bed with nervous energy. Sure, Sayaka is angry with me. Sure, there will probably be a murder this week. But I’ve gotten my first boyfriend, so this isn’t a whole loss. And it’s a rebellious yet gentlemanly hacker, what isn’t there to love?  
Finally, ten minutes before midnight, I head up to the library, excited. I practically jump up the steps. When I get there, Ishimaru is reading a book, but he looks up the moment I open the door and stands up to greet me. Suddenly, his expression changes and someone grabs me from behind, pressing a cloth over my mouth. All I hear is Ishimaru yelling, “T-“ before passing out.


	18. Murder in the Library

I wake up on the ground somewhere, confused and with a pounding headache. It takes a few minutes for me to look around, but I notice I’m still in the library. Confused, I look around for Ishimaru, and see him sitting in a chair by the desk. I jump to my feet to go question him, but freeze when I notice blood dripping from his head, and a bloody book next to him.  
The room as silent as I process this, until I grab him and pull the chair back, getting a good look at him. He’s… dead. He’s really, really… I feel faint again, but hold onto the table, keeping myself upright. He looks exactly the same… like he could wake up at any moment.  
I feel myself start sobbing and clutch at him, trying to shake him… and his eyes flicker. I freeze, praying to every god out there that I wasn’t imagining it, but he definitely opens his eyes. “Tae…ko…?” I cry harder and hug him tightly, glad he’s alive. But he feels weak, and half pushes me off. He pulls something out of his pocket and hands it to me. “For… you…” His hand falls and his eyes close again. My heart stops. I check his pulse, but it’s stopped.  
After a few moments, I scream. I scream as loud as I can, until I run out of breath. There are footsteps in the hall, but I just slide to the ground, still clutching at him. I slip whatever he gave me in my pocket, to look at later.  
The doors fly open and I hear gasps, but I can’t be bothered to see who it is that’s gasping. Someone grabs me, tries to pull me away, and I don’t even put up a fight. Watching someone die in your arms… is different from an execution or Kirigiri’s murder. And that it was him…  
Eventually, I start paying attention to the people around me. Sayaka is in front of me, trying to console me, I think. Oogami is checking hi… the body. Yamada is looking at me pitiably, like I’m a puppy someone kicked, and for a moment I’m filled with anger. But the moment I look back at Ishimaru, it all slips away.  
Sayaka is still talking, and she pulls me to my feet, pulling me out of the room. I tune in on what she’s saying. “-shouldn’t be around him, not good for you, what even happened yesterday?” She look at me pityingly, too.  
“…he came to my room. He kissed me. Then he said to meet him at the library last night… he was there, but someone grabbed me from behind, knocked me out…” I hiccup miserably. “He was still alive when I woke up… He gave me something, and then he just. Stopped.” I bury my face in my hands and she hugs me. “I s-swear, I must have known him in some other life…”  
“Then you’ll meet him in the next one, and get it right…” She holds me tightly. “It’ll be okay…” But it won’t. Things can only get worse from here, I just know it. Eventually, she lets go of me, and I silently pull whatever it was he gave me out of my pocket to look at.  
My eyes widen when I do. It’s another photograph, like the one of Kirigiri and Naegi. It’s definitely a Hope’s Peake classroom, but with the windows open and sunlight shining through. This one has Ishimaru standing in the middle of the frame, with… me sitting on his shoulders. We’re both dressed differently, in jeans and matching black shirts with some word in English written on them. I don’t think I recognize it… Sayaka looks over my shoulder and blinks, confused.  
“You knew him before? Why didn’t you tell me?” I shake my head.  
“I never met him before Hope’s Peake… but this isn’t the first weird photo I’ve seen. I also saw one of Naegi and Kirigiri, but… it disappeared after I found it. I thought I imagined it, but…” This proves it. There’s something seriously wrong here, not just the murders.  
She frowns again and gets a closer look. “Why do both of your shirts say ‘Despair’?” I get an oddly unsettling feeling, but brush it off.  
“I don’t know. I don’t own a shirt like that. This is…. Sayaka, I don’t know what’s going on, but this all seems so wrong!” My voice turns into a screech at the end and she hugs me again. Why does this all make me feel so sick? The photos, Ishimaru, ‘despair’… everything has to add up somehow, but how? How does it fit together? What’s the meaning behind all of this?!  
I have to figure it all out… before it’s too late and everyone is dead.


	19. The Most Despair Inducing Murder Investigation In the History of Mankind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry for taking so long, my summer has just been extremely busy. As well as I was foolish enough to start up multiple other talentswap fanfics at the same time. Hopefully, I can begin updating more recently again.

I force myself to get up and head back into the room. I have to do my best to solve this murder, or else whoever killed him will get away, and we’ll all die. And whoever killed him will not escape. I swear it. I look around the room, trying to avoid the body. Sayaka tries to pull me back out of the room but I shoo her away, refusing to leave.  
The weapon was obviously the bloody book on the table next to him. I wipe some of the blood away to read the cover. It’s by Sayaka… but I don’t recognize the title. I don’t even recall seeing it in the library. I flip through it, but my eyes fall on the front two pages. Firstly, it’s dedicated, which her books never are. “To my boyfriend, MN- one year and going strong!” It sounds like her, but… MN? Ignoring that, the second odd thing is that it’s signed- to Kiyotaka. “For Ishimaru, from Sayaka Maizono”. It sounds cold, unlike what she wrote to you. And she’s never met Kiyotaka before, right? The last thing, that I only check after trying to figure out all the other odd things, is the copyright date. It says it was copyrighted… one year in the future.  
This mess gets more and more confusing and complicated with every clue I find. But then again, I’m not a super high school level detective. When the trial is over, I’ll talk to Oogami about it. But for now, I need to focus on the murder. The weapon was this book- which Kiyotaka most likely brought with him, not the killer. So the killer probably didn’t plan it- except they had that rag to knock me out with. Maybe they were planning something else, but used the book to frame Sayaka…?  
I close my eyes to brace myself before looking at the body. His head and face are covered in blood, and he’s still bleeding, dripping down onto his shirt. I start looking through his pockets and his hand, but find nothing else, other than a few strands of hair. Hair that is definitely not black. But there’s so little of it, it’s hard to recognize much, other than it’s a lighter color. So the culprit has light hair, and used a book to hit Kiyotaka on the head… I keep looking around the area before noticing that some of the blood isn’t near the chair the body is in, but is by the door. So more likely than not, he was over by the door when he died…  
I check that area too, and find more of the hair. Kiyotaka must have fought back, ripping out the culprit’s hair… I also find what looks like a scrap of green fabric. Green… who wears green now that Naegi is gone? Just as I realize, the announcement goes off. Time for a trial.


	20. Trial and Execution

The 13 of us left all walk into the elevator. It’s silent, and most of them looking at me, either pityingly or accusingly. Of course, it’s no surprise they would accuse me, seeing as I was there as he died. It’s entirely reasonable… except that I would never. I don’t think I would kill anyone, unless it was for my survival. I get a weird feeling when I think that, but I shake it off.  
The trial room now has two more crossed out pictures- Ishimaru and Naegi. Everyone takes the same place as last time, and look at each other. The room is quiet. Ridiculously quiet. Until Monobear pops up at his place, and grins. “Begin discussion!”  
We’re all quiet for a few more moments before I speak. “Kiyotaka Ishimaru was killed in the library. We all know that.”  
"In your arms." Leon mumbled. Sayaka shot a glare at him, but before she could say anything, Oogami did.  
"Yes, he did die in Ludenberg's arms." She looked at me. "What can you tell us about what happened?"  
I take a deep breath. "He asked for me to come meet him in the library at midnight. When I arrived, someone attacked me from behind. I was knocked out. When I woke up, he was unconscious, but when I checked on him, he woke up for a few moments before dying. He didn't say anything about who killed him."  
"I see."  
"So Ishimaru-kun died from a head wound-" Sayaka was cut off by Mondo, who was scowling.  
"How do you know that?"  
I rolled by eyes at him. "His head was bloody, and there was a bloody book next to him."  
"One of Maizono's books, right?" Mondo glared at her. "How do we know it wasn't her?" Sayaka gasped, looking shocked.  
"Are we really going right back to accusing Maizono-chan?" Touko pouted. "We don't even have any reason to believe it's her this time! I'm starting to think you just don't like girls, Oowada-kun."  
"It was one of her books!"  
"That doesn't mean anything," I say. "Are you saying she would carry around her own book to kill someone with, despite how it would make her seem? Or are you saying she would specifically choose one of her own books off the shelf in order to kill someone?"  
Hagakure spoke up. "Sakura-chi looked inside the book, and it was signed to Ishimaru-chi! He musta had his own book, and the killer used it because it was just there!"  
"So the murder was spontaneous?" asked Yamada.  
"No, it couldn't have been. Whoever it was, they had planned it. When they knocked me out, it was with some chemical- chloroform, I believe. You wouldn't just have that on you, unless you planned to use it."  
"Wait, b-but how would someone get access to chloroform inside the school?" Chihiro asked.  
"Your story just doesn't seem right!" Leon yelled. "How could you have been chloroformed? Hell, why did you go to the library in the middle of the night? You're the one who keeps talking about surviving, you wouldn't go see someone when they could kill you!"  
I glared at him. "I went because I liked him. And the chloroform... that's simple. Think about the original sixteen of us. Who would have something like that, that's used to incapacitate someone?"  
"I would say, the gang leader or the soldier... But they're both dead." Mukuro pointed out. "And their rooms have been shut off-"  
"Wait!" Junko yelped. "I've seen Togami-kun go into Naegi-kun's room!" She tilted her head oddly. "Whyyy's that, Togami-kun?" The boy on my right, who's been oddly quiet this whole time, glowered at her.  
"He was an old friend of mine. I wanted to... go through our old photo albums."  
"That seems pretty sentimental of you, Togami-kun." I looked at him triumphantly. "But you're lying." I pulled the scrap of fabric and the hair out of my pocket. "This was by Ishimaru-kun's body. Pale hair, green cloth... the only other person who fits the bill is Chihiro, and he wasn't the one seen in Naegi-kun's room." Togami's face paled. "Another interesting fact- before I was knocked out, Ishimaru started to yell something. All I heard was a 'T' sound. I didn't know if it was the culprit or not, but now... well, it all fits together, doesn't it?"  
Everyone looked at him expectantly, and he slowly sighed. "Yes. I suppose it does." He looked between all of us, his face expressionless. "I killed Kiyotaka Ishimaru. My reasons are my own."  
Touko- no, Fukawa now- gasped loudly. "N-no, Byakuya-sama, you..." He silenced her with a scowl.  
"I won't apologize. I won't explain." Monobear, who had been oddly silent, started laughing.  
"Alright, students, please place your votes!" We all voted fairly fast, except for Fukawa, who hesitated, crying, before hitting the button. A small smirk covered Togami's face, until a metal chain grabbed him by the neck. "You were all correct! Byakuya Togami was the culprit!"  
The room darkened, the only light being a slot machine, glowing with Togami's face in all three slots. One again, my arm was grabbed- a human hand?- and I was dragged into another room off to the side.  
Togami stood at what looked like a fashion shoot, his outfit torn to rags and the chain still around his neck. A large television screen showed a faceless model posing, and he effortlessly copied the pose. It switched to another pose, and when he hesitated, the chain shocked him. His eyes widened in surprise, and he grabbed at his neck, but quickly striked the pose on the screen.  
The poses came faster and faster as he tried to copy them before the chain could zap him again. The camera flashed again and again, right in his eyes, until he was blinking sightlessly and crying out as the chain shocked him one last time, as he collapsed to the ground.  
When the lights came back on, I found myself crying, and I wasn't alone. This one... this was so much worse than Naegi's execution. With his, we hadn't seen him die, hadn't seen the despair in his eyes as he tried to escape death. Togami's... Togami's was heartbreaking. Why had he killed Ishimaru? Why was he willing to do that, if this was the fate that befell him?  
And why did I feel a thrill, thinking about that look in Togami's eyes as he died?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh thank god, I finally got back to this. I feel so sorry, guys. Now, though, I'm so excited about this. I forgot how much I liked this story.


	21. Third Floor Exploration

I shuddered as I exited the execution room. I felt like I was forgetting something, something important... But now, I knew there was no hope for the dead to survive. Kirigiri and Naegi, I could have explained away. But I watched Ishimaru and Togami die. There's no way they could have lived.  
As we exited out the elevator, I started heading toward my room, feeling sick to my stomach, but not for the right reason. I just watch my classmate get electrocuted to death... I should be horrified, right? I should be disgusted? But... while I feel bad... it doesn't feel the right kind of bad.  
I stumble into my room, shutting the door behind me and leaning against it. "This is.. despair, right? But I don't..." I mumble quietly into the door. I feel wrong, and I want it to stop. I do. I don't. I feel wrong. Right. Dizzy.  
I wake up in the morning, when the morning Monobear wake up call comes on. I feel a lot better now, I think, as I get out of bed. Bed? I must have crawled into it before I passed out. I finally change out of my bloodstained dress- the blood will never get out of the white, I think to myself- and into my usual black dress.  
Soon, there's a knock on my door, and when I open it, it's Mondo, looking sheepish. "Good morning, Celestia."  
I narrow my eyes at him. "Good morning. Oowada-kun."  
His shoulders droop. "Listen, I'm- I'm sorry, about the accusations yesterday. About Maizono. I was just, y'know, under a lot of pressure. Ishimaru and I were just becoming friends when he. Died. I shouldn't have claimed Maizono was the killer without proof."  
"I don't know why you're telling this to me. Apologize to her, instead." I begin walking towards the cafeteria, and he follows behind me.  
"I am, I just- wanted to apologize to you first. I'm sorry, Celestia." I roll my eyes and continue ahead of him, ignoring him. I feel irritable now, like something's itching under my skin and he's poking at it.  
I arrive at the cafeteria, him still at my heels. The others are all straggling in, most of them looking tired and ragged, the only exceptions being myself and Junko. Junko, who waves a pat of blackened eggs at me.  
"Celes-chaaaan!" She grins widely- too widely- and offers me the whole pan. "Have some!"  
"No thank you, Junko." I walk past her, into the kitchen, and grab a red apple. I walk out and sit at a table before biting down. As I sit, Sayaka sits down beside me.  
"Hi, Tae- Celes." Sayaka smiles at me tiredly. I offer her part of my apple, but she waves it off. "How did you sleep?"  
"I don't remember. Well enough, I imagine." I finish off the apple and leave the core on the table. "Would you like to go explore with me?"  
"Explore?" she asks, confused.  
"After the first trial, the second floor was opened. I imagine that after this trial, the third floor will be open now." From behind me, I hear familiar chuckling.  
"She's absolutely right, upupupu!" My classmates all stare at him as I turn around. "For every trial, another floor will be opened! Aren't you excited to see what will be on the third floor?"  
"Not particularly." I scowl at the little bear.  
"Ohhh, you're in such a bad mood today, 'Celes'-chan!" Monobear cackled. "I wonder why? Could it be because your boyfriend is dead?"  
My hands itched to reach out and tear that stuffed bear to pieces, but before I could do anything, Sayaka pulled me out of the room and began walking towards the stairs to the second floor. "Don't let him get to you, Celes."  
I sigh quietly, and stay quiet for a few moments, until I feel I have a better grip on myself. "Thank you Sayaka. I'm sure I won't." She leads me up the second set of stairs, to the newly opened third floor.  
The first room we come upon is a classroom, empty except for a bunch of doodles on the blackboard. 'Ul~ti~ma~te~Des~pair', sang a group of Monobears as they chased what looked like a chibi version of Kirigiri. Some chibi versions of various other students hang from a scaffold. When I notice the horrified look on Sayaka's face, I quickly erase the images, and hand her a piece of chalk.  
"Here, let's draw something better." She takes it. On my half of the board, I absentmindedly doodle all of our classmates. I watch as she draws a bunch of flowers and childish pictures on her side. I giggle at the awfulness of our pictures, and she jokingly pushes me to the side before putting down her chalk.  
She starts to leave. "I'll be there in a moment," I call after her. Something seems off about my picture. When I look closer, I realize I've added things to the dead students- pink marks where their death wounds were. My face pales and I erase those parts before throwing down the eraser and following after Sayaka.  
The next room is yet another classroom, this one's blackboard having a badly-drawn picture of a fire burning someone- me, I realize, in my princess dress. Sayaka is already erasing the other images- Kirigiri's motorcycle diving off a cliff, Leon drowning, and Mukuro being pelted with baseballs. When she notices me, she quickly tries to erase the picture of me.  
"Let's just ignore this room." I pull her out of the classroom by her hand, and we move on.  
The next room we find is a recreational room. There's a bunch of games, from Othello to pool. Even more interesting than that are the magazines we find- all sorts are stocked. We flip through them for a while, finding a few pictures of our classmates- Togami in a fashion magazine, Mukuro in the sports ones, even a photo of Hagakure wrestling.  
Next is an enormous physics lab, with a huge machine I recognize as an air purifier. "What do we need an air purifier for...?" Sayaka questioned.  
"Well, we're cut off from the outside world. Maybe it's even air-tight." In a room off to the side of the physics lab, we find chemicals, papers, and tarps. "This probably isn't safe to keep around in a school of despair."  
Sayaka sighed quietly. "Probably not. I guess we'll just have to be careful about... well, everything."  
"Yeah..."  
The last room on the third floor is an art room. It's full of statues and art supplies, but the back wall, covered in pinned-up despair drawings, is unsettling. The entire wall is covered in execution and murder scenes, for all of us. However, there are multiple executions for all of us, and none of them coincide with the real executions we've seen.  
We quickly walked past them, into the adjacent art supplies room. At first, the room seemed absolutely normal, except for a hammer on the wall, covered in dry blood. However, in the corner of the room, I discovered... yet another photo of the dead.  
"Sayaka!" I called for her and she ran to my side. Her eyes widened as she saw the picture. In it, Togami and Naegi struck ridiculous poses while Sayaka stood in the background, obviously rolling her eyes, and Leon leaned out an open window.  
"I don't... I don't understand, how-"  
"I don't understand, either." I tucked it into my dress pocket. "I will understand, though. No matter what it takes."


End file.
